


The Vagabond

by GavinHaywood



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Blood and Violence, FAHC, Fake AH Crew, Freewood - Freeform, GTA V AU, Gavin gets mugged a lot, M/M, Smut, Torture, Vagabond Ryan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-02-08 12:35:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 71,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12864642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GavinHaywood/pseuds/GavinHaywood
Summary: Ryan Haywood, otherwise known as The Vagabond, is part of gang full of masked criminals. When he ends up falling in love with some British idiot who has no idea who he is or what he does, can he keep his identity a secret from him?





	1. Chapter 1

Los Santos was a bustling and busy city during the day, with a stream of people flooding the sidewalks and an ocean of cars in the streets. However, the opposite can be said for Los Santos at night. Once the sun hides behind the mountains, that's when things take a turn. The sensible people know better than to venture out into the streets at night. The not so sensible people, however, don't heed the warnings that are whispered amongst the residents. For those who are brave enough to step into the darkness of the city, usually are met with a grim fate of either being mugged or stabbed to death.

 

He's seen it many times before, time and time again. Body after body piled up in dumpsters. Drugs strewn out in allies. Prostitutes littered the corners of sidewalks. Men eagerly stalking dark areas with knife ready to pierce any unlucky sucker they lay their eyes on. Sometimes muggers will even try to rob each other. It's rather funny. The excitement of the large town at night was enough to keep the insane happy for the rest of their life.

 

Or so he thought. It actually got quite boring after awhile, after five years of the same thing over and over. He's seen it all by this point, and he never thought that was possible. Sure, taking on a persona of a crazed man in a skull mask and joining a gang SEEMED fun at the time, but now it's just repetitive and quite frankly annoying. After all, there are so many rules they have to follow, and there's one thing the skull mask sporting man hated: rules. Well, rules and yellow cars. Those things are hideous.

 

Another night crept up quicker than he had anticipated it, and soon the man known as James Ryan Haywood changed into The Vagabond. Or just Vagabond for short. Once he and his crew are all dressed up in their attire and all have their masks covering their face, they go out of their way to do everything and anything in order to make their gang money and spread the word of their organization on the down low in order to recruit new members.

 

Their crew is fairly small, only becoming a thing a few years prior, so only a handful of people are actually active. Ryan would have to wager around 100 people or slightly more. It was a close-knit crew and well kept, despite all the dirty activities they pull off almost every night. They were slowly becoming one of the most feared gangs in the city. That was mostly due to Ryan himself.

 

The Vagabond was known to be ruthless, skilled, cunning, manipulative, psychopathic in every sense. Ryan himself didn't see where all those assessments were coming from, but he assumed it was good for his reputation; his "job" required that from him either way. But after awhile, he started to become bored and ran out of creative ways to make people beg for their lives. He really only joined because, well, he was already doing what he's doing now before the crew was formed, so he figured why not do it full time with other people who enjoy the same things he does?

 

But there Ryan was, once again, as Vagabond, standing along side his masked crew members and ready to take on another night. He silently noted a few of the masks he saw, recognizing some of his friends. He only knew them by mask, not by face or their real name. Each member had their own personal mask and code name. There are many rules you have to follow to be in this gang, but two main ones were, 1. Never reveal your name, and 2. Never, EVER, remove your mask under any circumstances.

 

It was because of this rule that no one was able to maintain a real friendship within the gang, for they couldn't even show their faces to each other. It was too dangerous, and if anyone were to betray them, they could easily rat out the entire gang all at once. So the strict rule was set in place.

 

Ryan made his way through the quiet and dimly lit streets of Los Santos, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his leather jacket while his eyes gazed around for any sign of life. There weren't any, either because the weather was slowly turning icy, or because by now most people had a sense of mind not to go out just to get killed. Letting out a muffled sigh behind his mask, the man shook his head in frustration. It's not like he would really do anything to whoever he saw out in the night anyway. Not only was he not particularly in the mood to slit someone's throat and take their money, but he also couldn't think of any creative way to do it. So therefore, he would rather just walk the sidewalk in silence and peace.

 

After taking a few more steps, he spotted a figure out of the corner of his eye that darted down the alley closest to him. At first he thought nothing of it; it was probably just someone either hiding from him or it was one of his crew members. Both assumptions were wrong. Before he could even get past the gap between buildings, he heard a piercing scream from yards away. He stopped dead in his tracks out of sheer instinct. After the scream a shrill "Stop it!" came. Ryan could only assume that it was someone either being raped or mugged. Or both.

 

It was really none of his business, and if it was someone from his gang, he knew he shouldn't get involved or it could risk blowing his rep of the "lone wolf". But something in him was curious to know what was happening. Not only that, but he was bored out of his mind and was desperate to find some entertainment. If anything, if someone was being attacked he could at least stand by and watch and make sure they don't get away. After a few hesitated moments and quite a number of screams from the shadows, Ryan finally decided to take a detour into the pitch black alley.

 

Once he stepped in, the immediate change of lightening caused him to become pretty much blinded. His foot hit against a stray can and clanked as he accidentally kicked it a few inches. He ignored it, however, and continued to walk, gingerly feeling for the wall and using it as a guide until his eyes could adjust. Once he was just a few more feet in, he noticed two forms dancing in the shadows. One was pushed up against the wall while the other was shoved against them with what looked to be a weapon pressed tightly against the other's neck. Ryan's eyes were quick to pick up on it being a knife.

 

Neither seemed to notice him, though. So he stood for a moment and watched the scene play out. With the little bit of sight he was able to use, he noticed both were male, and their voices confirmed it. Ryan would have sworn that the first scream he heard was from a woman; it was so high pitched. The one against the wall seemed to be begging for his life while the one holding him down was threatening that he would slice him in half if he didn't hand over his money.

 

Ryan rolled his eyes. Some muggers have the worst lines. There was one other thing he noticed, though, and that was the fact this particular mugger didn't have a mask on. Meaning he wasn't one of his own. This caused a particular and sinister grin to appear behind the leather skull that covered his face. He never took out a mugger before. It sounded like fun. He would definitely enjoy seeing someone who thinks he's tough bow before him and beg for his life.

 

It sounded like a good idea, so without a second thought, The Vagabond was on the attack. With a swift movement of his wrist, a pocket knife sprang out of his pocket and breathed the chilled night air. The "ka-chik" that the knife made caused a slight falter in the mugger's movements and he turned his head to check out the source of the sound. By that time, it was already too late. The Vagabond was behind the man and had his body pressed tightly against him, one arm gripped firmly against the other man's knife handle while he held his own hovering above the mugger's neck.

 

"Move and I'll sever your head." He whispered in a low voice. That voice always seemed to come out of no where when he was in the middle of one of his "errands" and he couldn't control it, not that he really realized he made such a tone. Ryan wasn't expecting the man to give in so easily, and he was correct. With a dry laugh, the man replied, "with that small blade? You're dreaming." As he made his reply, he also made an attempt to free his weaponized hand from The Vagabond's grip, but was unable to move an inch. Ryan held firm and refused to let him go, and it was becoming quickly apparent to the mugger that he was much weaker than the man behind him.

 

Ryan didn't answer immediately, and instead stayed silent; playing a little mind game with his victim. "Man, what do you want? I'm in the middle of something." The attacker's shaky voice rang out again, his body stiffing up enough for Ryan to feel it just from the way his body was against his. "I think it's cute that you believe you can talk back to me." Ryan answered finally, his voice smooth and low, dripping with poisoned honey.

 

Giving a jerk of his arm, the man made another desperate attempt to free himself. This only further agitated Ryan and caused him to squeeze the knife he was holding tighter against the exposed neck. "Alright, alright!" The man shouted. "Just take anything you want from me and let me go!" He pleaded. Ryan was almost taken back by the sudden outburst; not expecting him to give up that easily. He was really hoping for more of a fight, but instead he got a weak man who only took advantage of those who are smaller than him.

 

The Vagabond let out another sigh. It wasn't even worth taking his man's life at this point. There would be no fun to it without a good fight and struggle. Without a second thought, the masked man released the mugger and shoved him to the ground, not for any reason besides he wanted to prove he was serious about what he was about to say. "Beat it, this is my turf. If I catch you around here again I won't let you off so easily." Ryan hated sounding like one of those "typical" gang members, but it was also fun. He mostly said things like that ironically.

 

Getting the hint, the attacker nodded quickly and scrambled to his feet before dashing out of the alley and back out into the streets. Ryan could hear the sound of something metallic crashing to the ground, and he assumed the man must have ran into a trashcan. The imagery made him chuckle just a bit. As his eyes gazed down to the floor, he noticed the attacker left his knife. The blade was slightly smaller than his own, but he figured he'd take it as a souvenir. 

 

Once he picked the blade up and stood up straight again, that was when he remember that there was someone else there as well. The victim who was still plastered against the wall and not moving an inch. Ryan figured the poor man was probably scared out of his mind by now, especially after being left alone with The Vagabond himself. If the mugger didn't scare him enough, he certainly would. Everyone feared him.

 

Ryan was about to turn to walk away, since his fun was over with, when a small voice stopped him. "Thank you." The man against the wall spoke, finally peeling himself away from the brick and stepping forward towards the masked man. A deafening pause was implemented before the other answered back. "What?"

 

"What" was the only thing he could think to say, for he was very confused at the moment. He couldn't imagine any reason why this guy would be thanking him. He should be running in fear from him. But he's not. "I said thanks." The victim replied back, this time sounding a little more confidant. Perhaps it was because it was dark and he couldn't see that he wasn't scared?

 

That was easily fixable. Ryan let out a small laugh before turning towards the man. Feeling like being dramatic, he spoke up with an authoritative voice. "Do you not realize who I am? You should not be thanking me, you should be running in fear!" He emphasized his point by stepping backwards onto the sidewalk so he body was illuminated by the streetlight. He held his arms out into the air as if to say "behold my presence." He sported a smirk behind his mask at his little show, feeling rather accomplished.

 

However, the other didn't seem that phased. Instead, he simply followed Ryan out into the street. Seeing him in light for the first time, Ryan quickly realized why this guy had no chance against that weakling. He looked like he was barely 100 pounds. He also looked at least two inches shorter than Ryan was. Brown hair poked up and spiked strands went every which way. Was his hair messed up by the tussle or did his hair always look that messy? Ryan shook his head a bit and cleared his throat, waiting for some sort of response as the other looked him up and down. He was feeling rather awkward.

 

"No?" The brunette finally replied. "I don't believe I know any weirdoes wearing black masks." His voice came out in a thick English accent, which The Vagabond was just noticing after hearing him speak more than two words at a time. His comment about his mask made him a bit pissed off, though. Now he really just wanted to beat this guy down. But of course that wouldn't be fun judging by how tiny he was. "Um. . .The Vagabond?" He replied back slowly.

 

The only response he got was a shake of the head. He couldn't believe it, someone in this city didn't know about him. That was rare. Ryan stared at the strange man for awhile longer before waving him off and turning away from him. "Whatever. Bye." He dismissed him, however the brunette didn't seem to want to let up. "Hey wait! You saved me, I need to repay you now. Or else I'll feel bad." He chased after the gang member and walked next to him. "My name is Gavin, by the way. I don't usually like to bother people because well, it's just such a huge bother." He waved his hand before continuing. "But you're the first person to actually do something about me getting mugged. So I think you at least deserve to be thanked properly."

 

Ryan was about to ignore the man, but he suddenly stopped and looked down towards him. "Wait, this happened more than once?" He questioned with a bit of curiosity. Gavin nodded, a bit too eager for the conversation they were having. "Yup! It happens at least twice a week! I've learned to only carry ten dollars on me when I go out just in case. But let me take you out and buy you a drink or something? You know, just to say thanks."

 

Shaking his head, Ryan continued walking. "You've said thanks enough, I don't think you need to do anything else." It's not like he really hated to hang out with people, he was fine going out for a drink with friends or even going to a bar and chatting with strangers. It's just, going to a bar in his obvious gang getup was probably not a great idea. It was dangerous to be around one person for such a long time, for there was a higher chance that he would be caught. It usually goes, he scares the shit out of someone and they run, he robs someone blind, or he straight up kills them. He's never interacted with someone in his mask for this long.

 

The only saving grace was that this guy didn't know who he was. However, if he were to hang around him for a long enough time that Gavin got an ear for his voice and his figure, and then he learns that he's a bad guy, then things would certainly be bad for him. So he had to avoid that at all costs and get away from him as soon as possible. However, it seemed like Gavin wasn't going to give up easily.

 

"Alright, well if you don't want to go to the bar we could go to a restaurant? Or maybe a strip club?" The taller of the two nearly choked at the suggestion of a strip club. It was so random, and a very dumb idea. Then again, everything about this guy seemed to scream "dumb." Gavin groaned and folded his arms. "Come on. You pick a place then. Just for the night let me repay you."

 

Ryan's eye visibly twitched as he stopped in his tracks once more and glared at Gavin. "You really want to that badly?" What was he doing? He couldn't risk blowing his cover just for some British idiot. But nevertheless there he was, actually about to agree with this dumb idea. "Fine. But only for two hours. That's all you get."

 

Gavin's eyes sparkled a bit after he was finally allowed to do what he wanted, and Ryan could see the colouring of his hues. A faded greenish blue. It was definitely an interesting colour. The masked man shook his head. Why was he staring into this strangers eyes? That wasn't normal. Nothing about this situation was normal and it didn't take a genius to understand that.

 

Regardless, Ryan was hoping he could get this night over with quickly and just go home and sleep. He was feeling exhausted at that moment. He opened his mouth to speak once more. "Then I'm picking the place."


	2. Round 2

It was a long and quiet walk down the darken sidewalks as the two males made their way towards Gavin's car. Ryan never took his vehicle out for multiple reasons, so he was glad when the Brit told him he had a car parked a little away from where they were. What he was doing this far from his car, the Vagabond didn't want to know. He was simply focused on spending the next two hours with this idiot and getting away from him as quick as possible.

 

Ryan barely acknowledged the graveyard they passed along the way. It brought up very fond memories of when he was a child and he would hang out behind the tombstones and scare people who were mourning. He smiled at the memory. Those were good times.

 

Soon, from a distance, the form of the back of a car came peeking from the shadows. With a squint of his eyes, Ryan was able to read the licences plate of the car. "Gav1no". The masked man gave a quirked brow that the other couldn't see, and decided to let the weird name go. Once they approached the car, Gavin opened up the driver's side door and sat down. Ryan shook his head in disbelief as he got into the passenger's side. "You don't even lock your doors? It's like you're begging to have everything robbed from you."

 

The brunette gave a casual shrug before jabbing the key into the ignition and starting the vehicle up. "So where is it you want to go?" He flashed a cheeky grin before adding "Vagabond." Ryan physically flinched at hearing the name; he was really hoping Gavin wouldn't remember it. "Here. . .I'll enter the address." He swiped his finger over the GPS until he found the correct one, then let the machine do the rest. He hoped Gavin would be able to follow such simple directions.

 

"Got it!" The brunette gave an excited yell. This guy was too loud for comfort. He began to drive off, and as soon as the car started to move Ryan got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something interesting was going to happen, he could feel it. He swallowed down the feeling and ignored it, instead focusing on the quiet hum of the radio as it played the rock station at a low level. "You uh. Like this type of music too? You don't seem like the type." Ryan commented with a slow and careful tone.

 

"Well yeah, who doesn't like it?" Gavin replied in return with an amused laugh. Ryan simply shrugged and leaned his arm against the edge of the window, choosing to remain quiet for the duration of the drive. Gavin, on the other hand, was a chatter box. He talked about random things he watched, random people he saw, random games he played; pretty much anything just to fill the gap of silence that was caused by the skull mask wearing man. Ryan supposed it didn't bother him much, since Gavin had some pretty interesting stories. Although, the Brit's constant talking over the songs he liked was a bit annoying.

 

Finally, the pair arrived at their destination: a small, yellow building sandwiched between two other establishments. The front door had a walk way running out to the streets, the walkway was overcast by a sign that read "Tequi-la-la". It was a small and vaguely known night club that didn't have a lot of frequent visitors. It was also always dark inside: a perfect combination for the Vagabond.

 

Gavin looked the place over as he got out of the car, raising an eyebrow. "I asked if you wanted to go to a bar and you said no. But this is a bar." He proceeded towards the entrance as Ryan also got out. Giving an annoyed sigh, The Vagabond quickly locked the doors; secretly hoping Gavin didn't leave the keys in there, before walking after the brunette. "It's not JUST a bar, Gavin. It's got my favourite thing: a pool table." Two things in that sentence was a lie, one: pool tables weren't his favourite thing, two: he really just wanted to go down to the basement because he knew it would be less crowded.

 

"Oh sweet, they have Snooker?" Gavin asked with glee. The two reached the entrance before Ryan turned to the Brit and tilted his head. "Uh. No? They have pool. And a dart board." He replied back with a confused tone. Gavin shrugged and walked through the door."Whatever. It's pretty much the same thing anyway." Luckily for The Vagabond, there was no bouncer at the door to check their IDs. The only time they needed to get their IDs checked was when they bought alcohol. And seeing how he doesn't drink anyway, he didn't need to worry about that.

 

Trying to hide himself from any viewing eyes, Ryan quickly made his way from the main floor down to the basement where they held the arcade machines and pool table. Gavin was quick to follow behind him while blathering on yet again. "Wow this place is cool as dicks!"

 

"Uh. Okay." Ryan retorted as he found a place on a small table surrounded with folding chairs for the gamers to have a seat between games. He plopped down and folded his arms as he watched the Brit standing near the pool table with a hyped grin. "Come on! We might as well enjoy ourselves while we're here, right? Let's play a round of Snooker."

 

Leaning forward in his chair, Ryan sighed loudly and shook his head. "It's pool. And no thanks, I'm alright. I kind of just want to sit here for awhile and relax. It's too late to be so wound up." After his remark, Gavin's face visibly fell with disappointment. "But you said it was your favourite." He pointed out, making the masked man pause in his statement. ". . .I /did/ say that. But I'm also tired and I want to relax. You go play by yourself."

 

After shooing the brunette off, Ryan turned in his chair and propped his elbow against the table before leaning his head against the palm of his hand. Gavin puffed his cheeks out in frustration and disregarded the grumpy man for now, much to Ryan's joy.

 

Over the next half hour, the sounds of hard plastic clanking against each other and the occasional "dammit" was all Ryan heard as he stared at the clock hanging on the wall of the night club. He watched the minutes tick by with agonizing hesitation. Only an hour and a half to go before he was able to go home and sleep. Just an hour and a half he had to stay here. That's what he kept telling himself.

 

Eventually, Gavin seemed to grow bored of playing pool by himself and placed the pool stick against the table before walking over to the other man, taking a chair in front of him and scooting it out so he could sit down. He eyed Ryan's hidden face with an annoyed pout before speaking. "Okay so that was bloody fun. Now do you want to actually do something instead of sitting there like a party pooper?"

 

Blue hues pierced green as The Vagabond narrowed his eyes and glared straight into Gavin's. Gavin could see his eyes quite clearly in the dull light that hung from a lamp over their heads, and suddenly his face went from annoyed to a slight fearful expression, which confused Ryan just a bit. The brunette looked away quickly and stuttered out. "Or I could buy you a drink from upstairs?"

 

Waving off the sudden change in mood, Ryan shrugged his shoulders up and shook his head. "Nah, man. I'm good. I don't drink." Gavin stared at him, looking like he wanted to say something really bad. It was like he was going to explode if he didn't get the question in his head out into the open, but before questioning him, he went silent and stared at the table.

 

After that awkward exchange, the two sat in silence for what felt like an hour, but sadly was only two minutes. Soon enough, the chatter box opened his mouth to break the tension. "You can leave if you want. I'm not keeping you hostage here."

 

The remark made Ryan cock an eyebrow. Why the sudden turn? He wasn't complaining, though. And Gavin didn't have to tell him twice that he could leave; he was happy to oblige. With only a couple seconds delay, The Vagabond stood to his feet, the sound of the chair scraping against the wood was deafening. He held his hand out to Gavin and said, "thanks for the exciting evening, and you're welcome for saving you."

 

The brunette stared up at the outstretched hand for a few moments before taking it and giving Ryan a weak handshake. "Yeah." By his reply, Ryan could tell that Gavin could practically feel the sarcasm in his voice when he said "exciting evening". Not only that, but the hurt look the Brit was sporting almost made Ryan regret saying anything at all. Almost. Once they finished their awkward handshake, the masked man, with a brisk pace, made his way back up the stairs and into the night air. 

 

He was a bit frustrated that he had wasted almost an hour of his night, but he knew that he wasn't going to do anything that night anyway. The real problem was that now he had a long walk back to his house. He made an attempt to take in a deep breath of air, but was instead met with the smell of rubber and leather. He stupidly forgot he was wearing his mask. 

 

Of course he would forget something stupid like that, because he spent too much time with that moron. Ryan began to walk down the streets; the still and silent darkness calming him and causing him to become even more sleepy than he had been. It had been a strange night, but he knew he would forget about it soon enough. He'd forget all about that British guy that he had mistakenly saved and willingly spent time with. He'd forget that he came dangerously close to letting someone reveal his identity for such a dumb reason.

 

He'd forget all about those olive coloured eyes that flashed with sadness when he ditched him. "Dammit James. Get it together." Ryan shook his head furiously, as if the action alone would get Gavin out of his head. Gavin was like a parasite in his brain, but he knew sooner or later his memory would be erased and he would feel more like himself. He was just tired, that's all.

 

Little did he know, that was going to be impossible.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This means a time skip : D~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It had been a mere three days since that run in with that weirdo whose name Ryan had already forgotten, and he felt like he was finally getting back up to speed with his activities. The creative juices were starting to flow through his brain and he was coming up with loads of different plans to lure people and take them out. Things were going great, and he had a good feeling that he would be ranked up after all the work he was about to put in.

 

However, within a single minute all that came crumbling down on top of him. A familiar scream came from behind him, close by, and it was like his instincts kicked off and whatever part of his brain that thought it was a good idea to check out the sound the first time seemed to take over yet again. So there he found himself yet again going to check out the source of the struggled noises that seemed to be coming from another darken alley. Why do these things always take place there? Did muggers not know that behind buildings were probably a better idea?

 

He had a feeling already that he knew what he was going to find, and he was right this time around. A blue clad Brit plastered against the wall of a building, almost exactly in the same spot he was last time, and a larger man pinning him in place with a knife against his cheek. Why do none of the muggers in this city use guns? It's so idiotic. Any dumbass could fend off a knife. . .except this dumbass, it seems.

 

Ryan stood a few feet away; the darkness was enough to keep him covered up but not enough to block his view of the scene. Just leave, Ryan. Just leave. Walk away now and don't get involved. You helped him once, if he didn't learn his lesson the first time then that's his own fault. Let him go.

 

He didn't listen to himself at all.

 

There was a loud "cli-clack" sound that came from the shadows before the mugger found himself with the barrel of a pistol pointed right at his temple, and the piercing blue eyes of The Vagabond on the back of his head. With a slow motion, the assailant gazed up at his attacker. If there was enough light to show the colour of his face, Ryan would have seen it drain completely away when he saw the skull mask.

 

Barely giving any effort, Ryan then said "if you value your life, run." His tone came out more bored, with a slight hint of annoyance at himself for using such a lame line. But the message was clear, and the mugger was quick to drop his victim and run off with his tail between his legs. It was at that moment that Ryan wondered if he should change his mask so he could actually get someone who wouldn't run away at the sight of him. It was no fun for him.

 

No sounds of trashcans falling over this time, sadly, but Ryan did hear the amusing sound of the man screaming his head off as he ran through the darken night. Great, now he's going to draw attention to this spot. It would be a good idea to book it out of there while he could. The Vagabond turned to walk away as he shoved his gun back into his pocket, but felt a force grab onto the sleeve of his leather jacket and held him there.

 

He turned his head to find the source and saw that it was the Brit gazing up at him with what Ryan would describe as desperation but gratitude. The look confused him, until his eyes traveled down Gavin's arm and spotted a gash nestled stiffly between his shoulder and forearm. Dark liquid covered the blue fabric, and Ryan could see the shirt torn and frayed at the wound entry.

 

For a reason he couldn't explain, Ryan felt his heart flutter with worry, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion he was feeling in that moment, all he could tell was that his heart felt like it was racing and he couldn't control his mouth from moving on its own. "Gavin, are you okay?" He sounded more concerned than he thought he would, but his question made the brunette smile a bit. "Yeah! It's alright. It doesn't hurt really. I think it stopped bleeding."

 

It clearly hadn't stopped, and Ryan barely heard what he said anyway, he was more focused on taking care of the wound before it got worse. "Just shut up and sit still." He commanded before leaning down on one knee in front of the Brit. He unzipped his jacket to reveal a black t-shirt, and then used his pocket knife to rip off a strip from the base of the shirt. Once he got a nice size of it cut off, he grabbed the brunette's arm and tied the cloth around the wound tight enough to put pressure on it so it would stop the bleeding.

 

"That should do it." He muttered to himself. He was no nurse, but he was rather impressed with himself that he thought so quickly. That rapidly faded when he realized what he just did. He very well may have just saved someone's life. Something he /never/ thought he'd do in his life. What was wrong with him?

 

Gavin must have seen the confusion in the masked man's eyes, because he then spoke up soon after. "Thanks for saving me again. That was really nice of you. I appreciate it." He waited until Ryan finally took his eyes away from his hurt arm and looked back at his face before continuing. "But uh. . .How the hell do you keep finding me?"

 

Ryan blinked quite a few times before tilting his head comically before replying in a somewhat high pitched and confused tone. "I don't know. . .I guess I just have a Gavin sense?" The Brit couldn't help but laugh at that response. It was a loud and obnoxious laugh, but some how it made Ryan smile behind his mask. The tension he was feeling in his heart quickly faded away and was replaced with. . .something warm?

 

It was probably nothing. He was just tired, again. That's all it was. Gavin opened his mouth and made an expression like he really wanted to ask a question, Ryan remembered that look from the first night they met. He had a feeling he knew what was going to come out of his mouth, that he wanted to repay him again. Thinking about the possibility of that happening, The Vagabond found himself feeling something he rarely feels: mixed emotions.

 

The look was wiped off Gavin's face and replaced with a sad smile. "Thanks again," was all he said before standing to his feet with a slight stagger before he began to walk away from the other man. Ryan stayed knelt there for a second or two in disbelief before straightening himself up and following the Brit. "Are you really sure you're okay to walk by yourself? Can you drive yourself to the hospital?"

 

Gavin turned around and waved his hand. "I'll be fine, mate! No need to worry. It's not even that bad, so I'll probably just sleep it off." Ryan physically winced at the lack of self preservation, but there was little he could do about the situation. He wasn't the boy's mother, so it's not like he could just drag him to the hospital. Especially with the way he was dressed.

 

It took all the self control he had not to go after the British man, and instead he watched him walk away and fade into the night. Ryan was sure this time he would never see him again, either because he would either die of blood loss or infection from an untreated wound, or simply because there's no way he'd run into the same guy three times in a row when there are over two million people in this city.

 

Boy, Ryan was getting tired of being wrong about so many things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the painfully slow start, something will happen. . .Eventually, promise! : D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of attempt sexual assault in this chapter. Read at your own risk.

Yet again Ryan was left to be alone without the Brit, and yet again Ryan couldn't get him out of his head. Not only did he wonder if Gavin was alive or not, he also wondered what he was doing almost in the same place he was when they first met. Even though the British man was pretty much an open book, there was still so much about him Ryan didn't understand, and he felt like there was more to Gavin than what he was seeing. Ryan had always been a sort of scholar type man, so for someone like him to not understand what looked to be like such a simple person, it was starting to get to him. 

 

Either way, it didn't matter much anymore; Gavin was probably dead in a ditch somewhere after bleeding out. So The Vagabond didn't have to worry about it. He would just go about his life and forget all about him without a single care in the world. He'd go back to his normal life-- less than normal life he should say. And that would be the end of that.

 

Ryan shook his head quickly. If anyone where around at that moment they would have surely thought it was a weird thing to do out of no where. The Vagabond knew better by now than to expect what he believed would be what really happens. He had a sinking feeling that he would somehow see Gavin again, maybe getting robbed yet again, maybe getting stabbed yet again. He vowed that this time if that were to happen he would force him to go to the hospital instead of just letting him go.

 

No, he wouldn't! He wouldn't do that! He wouldn't care at all what happened to that idiot. If he wanted to bleed to death, then let him. He's not going to be held responsible for his life.

 

. . . . . .

 

Ryan sighed outwardly as he began to walk back home. He really needed to stop arguing with himself. He had never in his life felt so mixed up and confused over one little man.

 

Sleep might do him some good, even though he knew it wouldn't be a "good" sleep. He hasn't slept well in the past year. Maybe that's why he's being so weird.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Over the next four nights, Ryan decided to skip his adventuring into the night and just stayed home. He couldn't bring himself to gather up the motivation to go out hunting, or whatever you want to call it. To him it was either he went out to hunt people or he went out to kill time, instead of people.

 

On the fourth night, however, he finally decided to leave his house and go back out. For whatever reason, he just felt like that night was a good night to get out of the house and get some fresh air. So that's what he did.

 

As he made his way down the empty streets, he noticed a few random guys passing him. Even though they had their heads down as if they were attempting to avoid eye contact with anyone else they may run into, Ryan couldn't help but try to check every single one's face; thinking he might end up seeing a goofy grinning Brit looking back at him. It never happened, though.

 

After roaming for a full two hours, Ryan decided to give up and headed back home. He wasn't sure exactly what he was giving up on; finding someone to rob, or finding Gavin? Either way, he was done for the night and wanted to just get in bed and sleep. He would make sure to come back the next night.

 

And come back he did, every night after that with the same intention in mind: figuring out what happened to Gavin. He hated not knowing, even though he tried his best to tell himself he really didn't care. He did care, even if it was just him caring about figuring out this mystery, even that much was enough for him to keep coming back for the next three nights. But still he saw no sign of him.

 

Until the third time he went out. While strolling quietly across the street, one lone car drove past him. He stopped half way in the middle of the road to let it by,and once it had past he took a step to finish crossing, when he saw it; brown messy hair sticking up in random directions, blue button up shirt on top of blue jeans. He didn't even have to double check to know who it was.

 

Without thinking, Ryan took off in a full blown sprint towards the brown haired man. Once he approached him, Gavin looked like he was about to book it, but when he saw it was Ryan and not a mugger, he relaxed and gave the man a large smile. "Hey!" He chimed happily as he put his hand up in a greeting manor.

 

Ryan wasn't even sure where to start with this conversation, so he decided to ask the obvious question. "You're still alive?" It was a normal question, right? "I mean. . ." He continued, feeling rather dumb at that moment with how he phrased it. "You know, after that stabbing you received the other day. I figured. . ." He muttered the ending of the sentence as he looked away embarrassed.

 

Gavin merely laughed and waved his hand. "Nah, I told you it was fine. I had a nice rest and felt alright in the morning. It does look like it's going to scar though. Bummer." He shrugged his shoulders up before turning his head down towards his pocket, shoving his hand into it and rummaging around until he pulled out something. It took the masked man a few moments to realize what it was. A black, ripped up cloth that looked crusted with some sort of fluid.

 

Giving a quirked brow, Ryan looked up at the brunette's face as if asking the obvious question using his eyes only. Gavin only offered a large grin as he pushed the bloodied cloth into the other man's hands. "I'm returning it!" He said as if it was totally normal to keep a torn cloth that was covered with bodily fluids. 

 

This boy really was interesting, and hard to read. ". . .Um, okay? Thanks?" He replied back after staring hard at the object in question for quite awhile. He felt like just disregarding the strange offer, but instead he shoved it deep into his pocket. He'd get rid of it later. Awkwardly, Ryan shifted on his feet and looked up towards the sky; doing anything to avoid eye contact with the brunette while he continued.

 

"So. . .Uh. I'm not really doing anything at the moment, do you want to hang out and do something?" The offer took both of them by surprise, and quite honestly Ryan was just as surprised as Gavin was that he asked that. It was definitely out of the ordinary, but if he was being honest with himself, he mostly did it because there was a nagging sensation in his brain that kept telling him to make it up to Gavin since he was so cold to him the first time they met and there was no need for it.

 

The shock on Gavin's face was then followed up with a question. "Are you sure?" The Vagabond wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he was already in too deep to back out now, so he nodded in confirmation. "Top!" the brunette shouted in reply. "We'll take my car again since it's not that far away. Where do you want to go?" The Brit began to walk in the same direction he was heading before, Ryan following close behind.

 

"The same place we went to last time will work. I trust you remember the directions on how to get there." The Vagabond replied, to which Gavin nodded like a frantic bobble head. Once they made it to the car, Ryan noticed a large dent in the side of the driver side door, sighing loudly and shaking his head. It was always something with this guy.

 

They made their way to the same bar they hung out last time, only the air was different this time. Not only was it colder, but it was also less dense with awkward tension. It was the same routine, they went in and headed straight for the basement. It was a quiet Wednesday evening and there was maybe four or five people besides them in the whole establishment. Perfect.

 

Gavin went to sit down at one of the tables, but Ryan was having none of it. They were actually going to do something this time around. The masked man grabbed a hold of the smaller male's arm and dragged him to the dart board. "Come on, up for a round of darts?" He asked as he let the brunette go to grab a few of the darts from the game board.

 

"Sure! I'm pretty good at throwing things. I have a theory that if you throw it while grabbing the tip you can hit it every single time!" Gavin took one of the darts and aimed his shot up to demonstrate what he meant. "I bet you 20 bucks I can make this first try."

 

Ryan chuckled lightly, readying up his own dart to throw after the Brit has had his turn. "Go ahead. But if you miss and I hit it, then you owe me 20 bucks." He said in return. Gavin agreed to his terms and lined up the dart before releasing it, successfully missing the board completely and smacking the dart against the wall, not even sticking it in the wall. "Hm. . ." He mumbled as he studied the dart on the floor as if he was thinking of where his plan could have failed at.

 

Stifling his laugh, the Vagabond took his turn. "It's not about how you hold it at all. You just need to know the proper aiming technique." He explained right before proving his point by flicking his wrist and releasing the dart, unlike Gavin's it stuck right next to the bulls eye, missing just by a hair. The brunette pouted as he reached into his pocket and fished out a 20 dollar bill. "You didn't hit the bulls eye so you should only get 10 dollars."

 

The masked man laughed once again, this time a bit louder and more genuine. "Sure, sure. You're just trying to jip me out of my earned 20 dollar bill." Gavin snickered at that comment and handed the taller man the bill. "Probably just lucky that's all."

 

They continued playing for awhile longer; Gavin ended up getting one dart to stick into the board, which he was very proud of. Needless to say, Ryan ended up winning. But he still congratulated the other on his accomplishment.

 

After they finished their little game, Ryan suggested they play some pool. He also won that game; Gavin not getting a single ball into the hole. Even though he kept losing, the brunette was having a lot of fun hanging out with the masked man. And Ryan failed to notice one thing: he smiled more in those two hours than he has in the past three years.

 

Once the two realized it was nearing morning and the sun was about to come up, they decided to call it a night and go their separate ways. Before falling asleep, Ryan reflected back on the night he had with Gavin. He had a lot of fun, more fun than he had in awhile that didn't involve slaughtering someone mercilessly. Maybe the Brit wasn't as bad as he thought.

 

The next night he went out again, ready to take on whatever faced his way. He was feeling in a rather good mood for whatever reason he couldn't pinpoint, but he didn't question it. He simply took it like it was.

 

While passing by the cemetery, his ears caught the sound of struggling from within the graveyard. He had no idea how he always ended up coincidentally being around when it happened, but it was like deja vu all over again; he recognized the voice of one of the people quite easily. It was Gavin. Without hesitation, Ryan readied his pistol from inside his jacket pocket and rushed through the broken gate of the cemetery. The graveyard was very old and poorly maintained, so no one did a single thing about the busted open fence that lead into the yard.

 

That was a stroke of luck for Ryan, since he was able to slip in quickly and find the source of the struggling. In the distance he saw what looked like a blob of shadows hunched over one of the gravestones. He rushed over quickly, only to stop a few yards away.

 

His eyes widened when he realized what was going on. The man hovered over the other looked to be a male with almost the same build as Ryan, with a black suit and a bison mask. He recognized him as someone who just recently joined their crew. That wasn't the only thing that made him stop. Underneath the suited man, he had the brunette pinned down; his shirt shredded and ripped open until his chest was exposed. When the bison masked man reached down for the Brit's trousers, that's when Ryan understood full well what he was intending, and he snapped forward to act quickly.

 

Ryan dashed towards the two and knocked his crew member off the smaller male and shoved him to the ground, pinning him down and glaring down at him. He snarled in warning like a feral animal before spatting out. "Get the fuck out of here. And don't come near him again, or you'll have me to deal with." It took all he had not to slit his throat right then and there, and he would have if he had not been part of his gang.

 

Hidden eyes glared back at Ryan before a voice came from the animal mask. "What the hell is your problem?" The Bison answered back, maneuvering his way from under Ryan and standing up to his feet, dusting his pants off and scoffing. "Whatever. He bored me anyway." He said, but Ryan knew better. He was giving up because he was scared of him. Everyone was; usually it would be a problem, but right now it really served a good purpose. He wasn't in the mood to slaughter one of his own.

 

Once the man had fully disappeared into the night, Ryan turned his attention to the Brit laying on the ground. He began to worry if he was okay, and if he even understood what was going on. He was an idiot, so he wouldn't put it past him. But Gavin was smarter than he looked, and he understood that much. The Vagabond reached his hand out to Gavin in an offering, which Gavin thankfully took before commenting, "wow, you saved me again. What are the chances?"

 

The Vagabond looked at Gavin's face, searching for any signs of mental scarring or something like that. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, but he was searching for some sign of emotion on his face. The brunette squeezed Ryan's hand tightly as he used the other's stable footing to help himself stand up. Once he was fully on both his feet, he dusted himself free of dirt and smiled up at the taller man, which made Ryan feel more at ease. "That guy was a weirdo. First time someone ripped my clothes up just to mug me. I keep my wallet in my pants, not shirt. Look what he did!"

 

The taller man sighed in relief. It was better that Gavin only thought he was being mugged and didn't have any idea what his attacker was really planning. Nodding a bit, The Vagabond unzipped his jacket and slipped it off his shoulders before slinging it around the Brit's. "Yeah. . .I'm starting to think someone is going out of their way to call muggers just to come after you."

 

The gesture caused Gavin's face to fall into a confused gaze, but he didn't question it, only wrapped the jacket around him gratefully; it was rather cold after all. He made it obvious by shivering quite a bit as he snuggled into the leather jacket. Ryan had to stop himself before he attempted to hug the brunette to keep him warm. The idea made him wonder what was wrong with him.

 

Not only that, but the idea of Gavin being sexually assaulted by anyone made his blood boil more than it should have. Deep down he started to feel protective and possessive. Those feelings scared him a bit; he had thought he had killed those emotions off long ago. But here they were, bubbling back to the surface, and for this British idiot. Was he merely mistaking his feelings?

 

Before he could really debate with himself, Gavin spoke up again. "This is what, the fourth time you have met me randomly? I'm beginning to think you're stalking me." He could tell within Gavin's tone that he was kidding, but still it made Ryan huff. "Whatever. It's coincidence."

 

He then looked around at their surroundings, remembering this place was very close to the last few times he has seen the brunette. "But. . .other than that, you're always out here around this time of night. Why?"

 

Gavin hummed before answering, as if he was trying to think of the reason. "Well, my job requires me to be out until pretty late, that's all. I always get home around midnight." Ryan cocked his head a bit. He assumed it was a good enough answer; many people have to work late nights. "Okay, but. . .that still doesn't explain why you are always around this part of town and walking around randomly at night."

 

Ryan mentally slapped himself for bringing that up. What if Gavin brings up the fact that he does that as well? He couldn't tell him that the reason he stalked around these parts was because his home was close by and it was the easiest part of town to find wandering dumbasses like Gavin who would make an easy target to steal from. No wonder the poor guy kept getting mugged; everyone must know that as well.

 

Luckily, he didn't bring it up. Instead he looked down, suddenly gaining a quiet attitude. Ryan wasn't sure if he would even answer, but he waited still. After a moment, the Brit replied to his questioning. "The thing is. . .every night to come to this graveyard to visit my friend." He motioned his head down towards the grave the duo were currently standing on.

 

The masked man looked down, spotting the name on the in-ground gravestone. "Michael Jones." Ryan looked back up at Gavin as he continued. "He was my best friend. But he was gunned down a year ago. The authorities said it was by this man wearing a wolf mask."

 

Gavin continued on with a few details about the case, but everything he said after that didn't reach Ryan's ears, he was too shocked over what he had just heard. A wolf mask, that sounded like he was talking about their leader. He couldn't believe the coincidence of this circumstance. What were the chances that this idiot and he would actually have a connection somewhere? He was broken out of his trance when Gavin cracked a smile.

 

"Ah, but I don't hate all people in masks. I mean you seem cool. I like you." After that comment, Ryan felt his heart skip a beat, but he couldn't explain why. Everything else seemed to fade away, and it was just him and Gavin's words in his brain. "I like you. I like you. I like you." That phrase echoed in his head; he didn't realize that he was thinking about it that much, but he was. Maybe he was just feeling cold since he didn't have his coat on. His brain was starting to freeze.

 

He wasn't sure what to say to his compliment, he simply looked away. He was really glad at that moment Gavin couldn't see his embarrassed face. He then scratched the back of his head before he mumbled out a few words. Gavin snickered a bit and leaned in closer to the taller man. "You what?" Speaking a little louder, he repeated himself. "I said. . .that uh, whenever you come out at night I will accompany you. So that you don't get mugged again."

 

Gavin's face lit up after he heard his offer, and he nodded sheepishly. "Okay! that sounds great!"

 

What was he doing? Why was he saying things like this? He isn't responsible for the idiot guy's life, and he has told himself that over and over. And yet. . .strangely all the risks that were involved with it seemed worth it to Ryan. He ignored the part of his brain that told him to back off Gavin and don't bother with him, and instead listened to the part of his brain that was telling him to keep this British moron safe. The thought something happening to Gavin while he wasn't around made him lose his composure, and he didn't want to see that happen. He couldn't think of any reason why he would want to, but something deep down told him he should stick by his side no matter what. 

 

So that's what he decided to do, even if in the end it would come back to haunt him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was planning on putting this all together and posting it, but seeing as how I am already at 5,000 words and I'm not even finished, I figured I'd do it in two parts. Plus it's been over a week since I posted anything and I figured I'd release this as one part and not overwhelm people with a huge long chapter, but instead just post it in two parts. Sorry for the delay and also the crummy cut off!

Over the next month, Ryan kept his promise and made sure to meet up with Gavin every night he would be out roaming the streets. All the while, The Vagabond made sure to be careful not to let his identity slip out. It took only a couple weeks for Gavin to ask where Ryan lived, and the gang member had to come up with a fast lie and tell him that he lived on the other side of the city. He seemed to buy it and dropped the conversation. Nothing else came up regarding anything personal about Ryan, like his real name or why he wears a mask, so he was very relieved. He dreaded the idea of Gavin asking him to remove his mask, and it would be the worst possible scenario for him.

 

But despite the fear, Ryan continued to make sure Gavin made it through each night safe and sound, and even escorted him home a few times. He knew where Gavin lived, however he never went inside his home. He began to wonder what the house of a man like him looked like. But he figured he'd never find out. It seemed like every night he spent with the Brit, Ryan felt his frozen heart grow warmer and warmer, and he couldn't explain why. He ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his brain that was attempting to communicate with him about emotions, because he didn't want to admit he had them. He didn't want to admit that he cared about this guy; cared about him a lot.

 

Gavin expressed his gratitude to Ryan for keeping him out of danger time and time again by attempting to buy him drinks, even though The Vagabond had told him he does not drink. He also offered to take him any place he wanted to go and hang out, but Ryan always picked the same place. Gavin had told him that he was a boring bloke, but instead of lashing out at him like he would do to anyone else, he simply laughed and agreed. He didn't act normal around the Brit, and he was starting to worry himself. He even tried to stop going out and meeting up with Gavin altogether for awhile, but it only lasted two days before he found himself desperately searching for the Brit and making sure to apologize when he saw him for being gone for such a long time.

 

Ryan wasn't a sane man by any means, but when he was around Gavin he felt. . .almost like a normal person. But then he looks at himself in the mirror and when nothing but a face covered with a skull mask and dead, emotionless eyes stare back at him, he remembers that he's not a normal person. He's not James Ryan Haywood anymore, he's The Vagabond. The Vagabond isn't normal, he's a ruthless and cold serial killer that no one finds comfort in, that no one relaxes around, that no one enjoys being around.

 

Except. . .this silly little British boy named Gavin Free.

 

Despite his appearance, despite knowing nearly nothing about him, despite seeing everyone's reaction to seeing him, despite the amount of murderous intent he gives off, Gavin still sticks by his side. But why? Was it just because he knew he'd protect him? Was he not scared of him because he hasn't seen what Ryan can really do? He didn't understand Gavin at all, and he was beginning to not care to understand. The only thing he cared about at that moment was just spending every moment he could with this clueless little man. And that's all it was to him, nothing more, nothing less.

 

That was, until one night in particular. He had just gotten done taking Gavin home,(well more like him riding in Gavin's car while Gavin drove home and then Ryan would walk back to his house later on) when the Brit stopped him as he was turning towards the direction his house was located. Ryan stared down at the brunette and didn't speak a single word as Gavin confessed to him what he was holding inside for quite awhile. "I enjoy spending time with you, so thanks for hanging out with me. I've been feeling really lonely since Michael died, and I have been hoping for someone to show up who's as kind as you are and take his place."

 

Ryan nodded, feeling rather happy in that moment that he actually was right that Gavin liked to hang out with him, but before the Brit let Ryan go, he said one last thing. "I loved him a lot. He was way more than my best friend." Before he parted, the brunette gave the masked man a gentle smile, then left him stunned at his doorway and entered his house, not to return for the rest of the night. Needless to say, Ryan was confused by the statement, and couldn't help but toss the statement around in his head for the remaining few hours he was awake. It was the only thing he could think about; nothing else was present at that moment as he walked home in silence and attempted to sleep.

 

The sleep didn't come easily due to his overloaded brain, but he eventually snuggled up under the covers and fell into a slumber that once arrived, was actually pretty decent. For the first time in years he was able to enter a deep sleep, not waking up until he had gotten a full eight hours of restful sleep. Not only that, but for the first time since he was a teenager he had a dream. Waking, he remembered the dream in full, playing it over in his conscious brain a couple times.

 

He remembers himself being in the dream, he was looking out from a seated position on a chair as he watched the sun setting behind mountains in the distance. The soft orange and red sky slowly faded into a darker and more sinister colour, but even so, he felt at ease. Looking to the left of him, he understood why he felt that way. Nestled under his arm and covered with half of a throw blanket that he was also taking part in using, was the gentle sleeping face of a brunette wearing a blue shirt. Ryan couldn't control the large smile that spread across his face, he knew in his dream that the two of them had been together for a long time and were peacefully enjoying their life.

 

Recalling the dream, and then recalling it again, and again, the knots in Ryan's brain were starting to unravel. All the questions he was asking himself were being answered, the problems were being resolved, theories were becoming facts. He couldn't deny it any longer, and he didn't want to deny it either. He understood now.

 

He was in love with the silly little British boy.

 

The next night, Ryan went out as per usual, but he didn't feel the same as he usually did. He was feeling a little nervous to meet up with Gavin this time, but he made a decision to remain calm while around him and not make it obvious that he was in love with him. He was cocky that he would be able to keep his cool the entire time. He was The Vagabond, after all! He wouldn't be caught off guard by a tiny British man.

 

Once the brunette's figure came into view, stood next to his car like usual, Ryan felt his heart leap into his throat and he nearly choked. Smooth move, Vagabond. Attempting to recover from his little freak out, he simply nodding his head and waved at the Brit.

 

"You ready to go?" Gavin asked as Ryan approached. "Go where?" He replied curiously, even though he already knew the answer, since they go to the same place every single night. Gavin cocked his head and folded his arms, giving a fake pout. "What do you mean where? The place we talked about going to yesterday. And the day before. And the month before! Boring bastard, you only go one place."

 

Ryan waved his hand and took it upon himself to help himself into the passenger's seat of Gavin's car. "Yeah, yeah. I was only messing with you. Let's get going. You said this time you were going to beat me in darts, so let's see if you can keep that promise." Gavin rolled his eyes and got into the driver's side, starting it up. "I bet you ten bucks." Ryan laughed at the random bet. "Only ten this time? You don't sound confident."

 

As the two made their way to the bar, Ryan gazed from the window to the Brit, and back to the window. He was debating whether or not to bring up the dream he had, but he silenced himself before he got it out. He wanted to tell Gavin how he felt, but he was nervous. What if it ruined their friendship? What if he didn't feel the same way for him and he was only imagining that he might? There was too much to risk, so he chose to remain silent about it.

 

Once they arrived at the bar, Ryan headed down to the basement while Gavin stayed back and chilled out upstairs in the main bar area for awhile. Ryan was wondering what he could possibly be doing up there, but figured it didn't matter much, he would return soon enough. So until then, he sat down at one of the tables and scanned the place. There were a little more people there than usual, probably because it was a weekend. But he wasn't too worried, he would just simply move to a different spot if anyone got too close. He was confident he knew what he was doing.

 

It took about ten minutes for the Brit to return, and when he did he was carrying two large glasses full of light yellow liquid. Ryan watched the bubbles float to the top where a film of foam lay, and knew right away what it was: beer. His nose scrunched up at the sight of it. He always hated drinking, but not only that, he hated the smell of it too. Gavin sat down next to him, smoothly sliding over one of the beverages and giving him a sly smirk. "Tonight's the night, Bondy."

 

Oh, right, that dumb nickname Gavin came up with for him just a week ago. He hated the hell out of it. But never said anything about it, since it was Gavin. Ignoring the sudden twinge of annoyance in his brain, Ryan asked back, "for what?" His question was quickly answered by the brunette nudging the glass closer to the masked man, obviously hinting at what he wanted him to do.

 

Ryan shook his head at the offer, pushing the cup back towards the brunette. "No thanks. I told you I don't drink." Gavin pouted in response and folded his arms on the table. "Weak." He grumbled in a disappointed tone. "But I already bought both of them. What am I supposed to do, drink them both?" The Vagabond shrugged his shoulders up. "I guess? Or you could give it to someone else."

 

Gavin sighed loudly and took the drink back. "Nah. If it's not you getting drunk off your arse then it's no fun." the masked man cocked an eyebrow. "You think I couldn't take one glass of beer?" The brunette suddenly made shifty eyes as he looked away, taking hold of the cup in front of him and beginning to drink as an embarrassed look etched on his face. Ryan suddenly smirked at the expression, knowing it meant that Gavin couldn't hold his alcohol.

 

He made a split decision in that moment to tease the other man. "Gee, it's as if /you/ can't handle it instead? Is that true? Are you a lightweight?" Gavin's eyes cut towards Ryan, continuing to drink as he glared at him. When he pulled away for a breath he replied back. "No. I can handle it. Watch me." He was getting defensive, clearly. After his reply he proceeded to chug down the rest of the glass, and Ryan instantly regretted opening his mouth. Well, no going back now; the Brit looked determined to prove him wrong.

 

Half way through the chug, Gavin coughed and gagged on the liquid, but he wasn't giving up, and was able to get it down. Without another word, he moved on to the next one and started chugging it down too. "Woah, woah! Easy there! I believe you!" Ryan yelled quickly, making an attempt to get Gavin to stop trying to kill himself. It seemed to work, because the brunette pulled the drink away from his lips and sat it down. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, groaning. "I feel sick." His voice strained out.

 

"Yeah, no shit, idiot." The Vagabond sighed and leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling exhausted. "It's not smart to chug alcohol." Gavin looked back up at the other and gave him the saddest puppy dog eyes he could muster. "But you dared me to." At that moment, Ryan felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He wasn't sure what to say to make it up to him. ". . .Sorry." Was all he muttered in response. "Sorry isn't going to help. It's too late to back out now." Gavin took another drink of the beer, gagging soon after. He seemed determined to finish it.

 

"Geez. Just finish it slowly and then go get some water or something. No more alcohol for you." There had to be at least a pint of beer in each cup, and seeing how skinny Gavin was. . .Ryan was beginning to get a bad feeling all of a sudden. But despite that, the British moron continued to take drink after drink until he finally finished both of them off. The Vagabond stared at the brunette, waiting to see if he was going to vomit, because it sure looked like it. His eyes glazed over and his face flushed a deep red. His face twisted in pain. The Vagabond waited minutes upon minutes, waiting for the other to speak, or do anything but sit there staring at the table.

 

Breathing more evenly now, Gavin groaned and stood up. Ryan watched him, assuming he was going to go run to the bathroom, but instead he quietly walked, more like stumbled, over to the dart board. "Let's go." He called over to Ryan, and that's when it hit him. . .Gavin was definitely buzzed. "So he can't hold his alcohol after all. . .it's light beer." The Vagabond mumbled as he shook his head, but he soon after stood to his feet and followed the brunette, if nothing but to keep him from falling on his face. "Alright, I'm here. What is it?"

 

Gavin, swinging around to face the taller man, held up a dart, nearly stabbing himself in the eye as he lost his balance and staggered about. "I bet you two hundred bucks I can nail the bulls eye with one. . ." He burped loudly, which interrupted his sentence. But he forgot what he was saying anyway and continued speaking. "Bondy, give it a go. Let me first, then you." Ryan cocked an eyebrow again, not really understanding his nonsense, but he stood by and watched as the brunette threw the dart, it falling just a couple feet in front of him and onto the floor. "Dammmmmit." Gavin mumbled and went to pick it up, but fell forward, and would have slammed his face against the wall if Ryan hadn't grabbed the back of his shirt and held him up.

 

"Alright tiger, I think it's time we got you home and in bed. You need to sleep." Ryan grabbed Gavin and picked him up, which was quiet easy since he weighed like nothing, and threw him over his shoulder. The brunette weakly fought back, kicking his legs around and trying to get free. "Nah man I'm good." He argued back, but The Vagabond was having none of it. "I'm putting you to bed." He strangely felt like Gavin's father at that moment, which was a creepy thought. That was quickly dashed when the Brit opened his mouth, though. "Oooh. Get me in bed? You slag."

 

Ryan didn't even need to know what slag meant to understand where the brunette was getting at. His face quickly turned red at the comment as he quickly made his way out of the building, almost every single eye in the place was on the two, but The Vagabond didn't pay any mind to them, he was too focused on getting Gavin home and put to sleep before he did something really stupid.

 

Once to the car, the masked man opened the passenger's side and gently sat Gavin down, putting his seat belt on him and shutting the door. By time Ryan got to the driver's side, the Brit was messing with his seat belt and trying to remove it. "Stop it. Leave it on." He scolded, making the drunken man huff and fold his arms. "I hope you have some wits left still so you can tell me where your house is." Even though he had already been to his house, he was still pretty clueless when it came to directions.

 

Luckily, it seemed Gavin understood what he meant and pointed to his house on the GPS. "Great. Then let's get going." Ryan reached for the key to the car, noticing that it was there even though he expected it not to be. Gavin had left the key in the car the whole time. Sighing, he shook his head and started it up. He'd deal with scolding the Brit about that later. For now, he just wanted this night to be over with; taking care of an adult child wasn't any fun at all. He just wanted to dump him off home and make him take care of the rest.

 

The drive to his house was rather interesting in the sense that Gavin kept doing anything and everything he could to piss Ryan off. Like changing directions on the GPS and rolling the windows down even though the other rolled them up four times, and he would even try to mess The Vagabond up while he was driving, which nearly caused him to wreck a good three times. By time they made it to the brunette's place, Ryan was about ready to leave him at the door and walk home.

 

However, that's not what he did. Instead he parked the car, walked over to Gavin's side, picked him up out of the car, and then locked the doors up. Falling in love with this guy was starting to become a pain in his ass. Making his way to the front door, Ryan had to fish the keys out of the Brit's front pocket, which earned a rather inappropriate cackle from him, but The Vagabond wasn't going to play that childish game with him at that moment.

 

Finally, he was able to get the drunk bastard into the house. It took him a few minutes to find where the bedroom is, since he had never actually been inside. Once he found it, he laid the brunette down and for the first time in awhile checked his face for any signs that would tell him what state he was in. His green hues were still glossy and his face was still red, but he looked rather content in that moment instead of sick and uncomfortable like he was before. His hair had gotten wrecked from all the fighting he was doing, so he looked like one of those typical wasted idiots.

 

It made Ryan smile a bit. He looked so silly like that, but also rather cute. Gavin must have noticed he was staring, because he gave him a smirk. "Like what ya see?" He teased, which made The Vagabond reel back like he was just burned. "Uh. Do you need anything? Water? Maybe some crackers?" He asked, stuttering his words on accident. Apparently the brunette wasn't going to let that go, either. He leaned up, using the taller male's leg as leverage and flashed a cocky grin. "Nervous? No need to be.~"

 

Ryan was about to reply with a defense, when Gavin fell forward against his chest. The Vagabond was about to pull him away and ask if he were alright, but as it turned out the fumble was intentional, or at least he assumed so, because in a split second the brunette went from his face plastered against Ryan's chest, to his lips plastered against Ryan's face. The brunette closed his eyes as he leaned in close to the other, wrapping his arms lazily around Ryan and giving him a sloppy kiss against his mask's mouth.

 

The Vagabond was quite surprised; his eyes widening and staying that way for a long while as he watched the British boy attempt to make out with his mask, if Ryan weren't so shocked, he would have found it really cute. He stared down at him for a few seconds before finally snapping out of his daze. He grabbed Gavin's shirt and pulled him off easily. Sad green eyes looked back at him and his face had a "why did you do that?" look that made the gang member's heart stop. He felt bad, but he had to stop Gavin. He was only making a pass at him because he was drunk, and nothing more.

 

"You're not in your right mind. You need to get some sleep." He replied back to his unasked question, to which the brunette groaned and sat back up. "I am!" He shouted, clinging to Ryan once again and going in to kiss him some more. The Vagabond was quicker to react this time and put his hands up to block the attempt. "Gavin. Stop." He said in a more firm voice, however it didn't help either way, the Brit still didn't let up.

 

"Please?" He stared up at him with begging eyes. Ryan wasn't sure what to do in this situation, it's not like he has ever been in one like this before! He really wanted nothing more than to kiss Gavin back, but if he did, then he would ruin everything he has built up. He couldn't let that happen. But Gavin was making it really hard, especially the way he was crawling onto him like a feline. He had both of his legs trapping The Vagabond on the bed as he sat onto the taller man's lap, squeezing his thighs against him.

 

Uh oh. This didn't look good for Ryan. Him being so close to his. . .

 

Ryan looked away quickly, trying to find any sort of distraction to keep his mind off what was happening. It was like he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming. This would never really be happening. He was home, sleeping.

 

If only that were the case. He was very much awake, and very much in a difficult situation and didn't know how he could get out of it. Should he try sobering the Brit up? Would that even work? He went over many scenarios in his head, each plan he came up with ended in failure when he tried to think of how it would end. He wasn't sure what he could do, so he tried to stay as still as possible so he didn't tempt Gavin any further.

 

It didn't seem to matter, because the brunette was continuing with the assault on the skull mask, kissing every inch of it as if it were Ryan's actual face. Eventually he seemed to grow bored of that and began to unzip The Vagabond's jacket. Sitting still wasn't working at all, as it turned out. He knew he could easily pin the Brit down and stop him, but something was keeping him from doing that. Maybe it was because he was actually enjoying what he was doing?

 

Allowing for the smaller man to remove his jacket, Ryan simply stared down at him and watched his movements, which were less than accurate and pretty sloppy. But he was getting what he wanted, which was disrobing Ryan, as it seemed. Gavin successfully was able to remove the jacket and his mouth went for The Vagabond's neck, his teeth scraping at the skin between his collarbone. Ryan hissed in both annoyance and also. . .pleasure? He actually enjoyed having his neck bit. That's something new he learned about himself.

 

Things were starting to get way out of hand, and Ryan knew if he didn't stop now, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from what he was really wanting to do. "Gavin. . .you're not a vampire. Stop it." He made another attempt to talk some sense into the Brit, but it was still to no avail; Gavin continued, his tongue lapping up at the bite marks he left behind on the taller man's skin. He seemed real eager to get somewhere with this, and it was starting to work. Ryan's pants were starting to feel uncomfortable to be in.

 

It took at least two minutes for Gavin to finally realize that Ryan wasn't playing along, so he decided to stop in his tracks, his face slowly turning up towards the taller man. The Vagabond thought for sure he was going to stop at that point, but it turns out he was wrong. Fluttering his eyelashes cutely, the brunette mumbled, "please, Bondy? I need you."

 

There goes another jolt to his member. He was beginning to not be able to handle it; the way the Brit touched him, the way he acted so needy and desperate. He was beginning to think maybe if he gave in, it would actually benefit both of them. But he was still on the fence. So instead, he asked, "are you really sure, Gavin?" as he looked down at the horny idiot. He got a nod in return, and that was all he needed to let himself go.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: S M U T

Within a split second, Ryan had the brunette pinned down on the bed, he trapped his arms above his head as his body molded against his; clothed pelvises grinding against each other in a teasingly slow pace that caused Gavin to groan in displeasure. Ryan smirked behind his mask, enjoying the annoyed sound he received from him as he continued with his friskful teasing; snaking his fingers up underneath the blue button up shirt and finding his way up the Brit's soft tanned skin and to his nipple. It was already perked up, which amused The Vagabond. "So turned on already? We barely started." He mocked as he ghosted his fingers over the nub, giving it a good pinch, earning himself a shrill yelp from the body beneath him.

 

While his fingers were working on the nub, his other hand was used to shift his mask up enough for his mouth to be exposed. Once he was able to free the lower half of his face, he leaned down towards Gavin's neck, repaying him for the bites he gave him earlier, he gently sank his teeth into the exposed part of his skin. His free hand began to work on unbuttoning the blue shirt; starting from the top to the bottom, he slowly opened up one after the next until they were all undone. Having more access to the Brit's naked torso, he moved his mouth down to his collarbone, gliding his tongue across the ridge of bone before going in for another nip.

 

Gavin seemed to be enjoying it, because he was giving quiet encouraging noises as his hand rested on the back of Ryan's head, holding him against his neck as he continued his work. The Vagabond soon grew bored of just playing with the Brit's nipple, so he abandoned that idea and instead ran his hand down Gavin's small waist and found his way to the hem of his trousers, quickly noticing that there was a belt blocking his way from his goal.

 

Cursing under his breath, Ryan wasted little time in playing tug of war with Gavin's belt until he was finally able to yank it off and toss it to the floor. Luckily for him, the brunette was too drunk to care about the sudden pause in their little tussle. Going back to what he was doing, Ryan unhooked Gavin's jean button and unzipped them, grabbing the front of his jeans and jerking them a couple inches down so that he had better access. His hand reached down the Brit's boxers and he quickly found his member, taking it into his hand and wrapping his fingers around it. His thumb smoothed over the tip and pulled the foreskin down a few centimeters before rubbing the sensitive flesh in circular motions.

 

The Brit arched up out of his laying position and moaned loudly at the sensation of being touched by the Vagabond's warm hands. His arms wrapped around Ryan's shoulders tightly, his fingers squeezing into the back of his shirt. The Vagabond began to move his fingers slowly up and down along the length of his member. Eventually, the agonizing speed he was going was too much for the brunette, and he whined loudly while attempting to thrust himself into the masked man's hand. "Please. Stop teasing me and just do it."

 

The pained sound of his voice was enough to cause Ryan to feel bad about how long he was taking to relieve him. So instead of prolonging it and dragging the foreplay out for too long, he decided to just get to the main event. After all, they were both clearly ready and didn't need to be anymore ready than they already were. The Vagabond wasn't very experienced when it came to sexual situations, so he wasn't really sure which steps to take first. He especially wasn't experienced when it came to sleeping with men, since Gavin was his first. But he knew enough. He thought.

 

He knew that when two men had sex, they were supposed to. . .lube up. However, he looked around in a desperate attempt to find some, but wasn't exactly sure where to look. Gavin stared up at him with an impatient look before point over his shoulder at a dresser next to him. "Top drawer." He muttered. He must have understood what Ryan was looking for, which he was grateful for, because he was too embarrassed to ask for it out loud. He leaned over Gavin and opened up the drawer, quickly finding a small tube that must have had the lube in it. "Why do you. . .Never mind, I don't want to know." He muttered before he popped off the cap with less than patient speed and got to work hastily, squirting a glob onto his finger tips. He looked from his hand to Gavin's body, and then got an idea. He smirked, and since his mouth was uncovered Gavin was able to see it clearly, which was obvious because then got a terrified look on his face. "Gav.~" He chimed cheerfully, causing the Brit to tense up. "Yeah?" He stuttered.

 

"Why don't you remove your pants for me. I can't since I have lube all over my hands." He commanded in a lewd and smooth voice. Gavin looked at him with wary eyes, as if the request was some kind of trick. Watching his drunk mind trying to work was pretty fascinating. After a moment of thinking, the Brit finally did as he was told and slid down his trousers, along with his boxers, until they were down to his ankles; kicking off his shoes in the meantime. He had a little trouble doing it since he was uncoordinated at the moment, but Ryan secretly helped him pull them all the way off. Now the brunette was left with no bottoms and only his opened blue shirt to protect his skin from the air.

 

"Very nice." Ryan complimented as he looked down at Gavin, taking in his body as a whole. "Now." He leaned in, his knees pressing into the bed as his body lurched forward until he was an inch from Gavin's face. He stared him in the eyes as he slid his lubed fingers down to the Brit's entrance, circling his fingertip around to evenly coat the surface and pushing a finger in all the way in to the knuckle. The brunette hissed quietly when Ryan curled up his digit and uncurled it, then repeated a couple times. The brunette began to mewl and whine into Ryan's ear, which caused the older man to blush an insane amount. He guided his finger half way out before easing it back in, then added his second finger in, twisting them sideways and hitching them upward, which drove the brunette crazy and caused him to squeeze himself around Ryan's fingers.

 

Once there was a generous amount of the cream coating Gavin's hole, Ryan removed his finger and sat back, gazing down at him with a sly grin. "Alright. Now prepare yourself while I watch." He commanded, causing Gavin's face to go even more red than it already was. "What?" He replied, to which Ryan sighed and moved his hand down to his own jeans, unzipping them and lowering them to his hips. "Did I stutter? I said finger yourself." He freed his own hard-on and took his lube covered hand, placing it against the organ and beginning to pump himself as he watched the Brit. Gavin hesitated for a few moments as he watched Ryan as if he was in a trance, but was soon getting to work on his demand. His hand trailed down from his thigh down to his opening, he lifted his legs up so they were bent, giving him better access.

 

Once he had the tip of his finger against his entrance, he used the lube Ryan left behind to help him open himself up as one digit slipped in, and then another. He used the two to scissor himself, groaning at the stretching of his skin. He bit down on the knuckles of his free hand, moaning into his hand at the feeling of his own touches. The masked man licked his lips as he watched the scene before him, it was very erotic. Gavin was carefully preparing himself, which was an agonizing slow process, but Ryan didn't complain. He was enjoying it either way. Perhaps Gavin was used to this sort of thing? Or maybe the alcohol was numbing any pain he would have felt? He'd have to ask him about it later.

 

Soon enough, the brunette's movements were beginning to speed up as he was getting into it; he must have been hitting that sweet spot, Ryan figured, since his face was twisted up in pleasure and he was arching his back up off the bed. His entrance was nicely slicked up and he was able to move easily in and out of himself. He looked as though he would orgasm at any second, so Ryan gave a quiet chuckle. "Save some for me, will ya?" He teased, making the brunette stop in his tracks with an embarrassed look on his face. "Awe, you didn't have to stop. I was enjoying it."

 

Gavin mumbled under his breath and looked away with a pout. "What was that?" The Vagabond laughed. "I said. . .hurry up." Ryan looked on with a shocked face, not expecting that to be what had come from his mouth. He soon gave a smirk as he leaned in close to the Brit, his thighs meeting the back of Gavin's legs, his member an inch from its target. Gavin wrapped his legs around The Vagabond's waist in anticipation, drawing himself closer to his pelvis. Ryan didn't want to be too quick, since he didn't want to hurt him. But this horny idiot seemed too drunk to even care at that moment. Even so, he took it at a snail's pace; pressing the head of his manhood against the wet opening and teasing the rim.

 

It was able to slide in fairly easily, and once the Brit felt the least bit of penetration he was wiggling about in an attempt to get Ryan to go in deeper. "Jesus Christ. . ."He mumbled in annoyance, but also amusement. He was definitely not used to someone this eager. Without hesitating any longer, The Vagabond snapped his hips forward and fully buried himself inside the Brit. He didn't have time to worry about if that was the right choice or not, because Gavin's slutty sounding scream answered that for him. Wasting little time, Ryan began his attack on his rear end; aiming upwards to try to hit that sweet spot with fluent motion. He bit down on his lip hard in an attempt to stifle his voice; he didn't want to hear himself, he only wanted to hear the Brit.

 

Gavin had no sense of control over himself in his drunken state, so with each thrust The Vagabond made drove him closer and closer to the edge until he was eventually screaming so loud, Ryan thought for sure someone would call the police. But God, was Ryan willing to risk being caught by the cops at that moment. His movements were drawn out and sluggish at first, but soon enough he was beginning to pick up the pace the more both he and Gavin were getting sucked into the deep pleasure they felt from the friction of their bodies moving together as one.

 

As he slammed in deeper and with more precision, the brunette's thighs squeezed Ryan's waist; his arms wrapped tightly around his neck and hugged him so close that the masked man could barely pull himself out of the Brit. So instead of taking long and hard thrusts, he went with quick and hard, which seemed to excite Gavin even more; especially when he finally found the bundle of nerves that caused Gavin to finally tip over the edge. Ryan could tell he hit it, because the Brit gasped loudly before he roughly bit down on The Vagabond's neck, drawing out a long and sultry moan. His entrance tightened around Ryan like a vice; encouraging him to hit the same spot. So he did, over and over with erratic movements, each time his hips jerked forward he felt the pit of his stomach becoming tighter and tighter.

 

It had been awhile since Ryan had masturbated, so he could feel himself already coming close to the end. He wanted to make it last longer, since it looked like Gavin was still enjoying himself and didn't look like he was near to finishing. Once he felt himself building up to the orgasm, he deliberately lulled his hips down to a more gentle motion, successfully stalling his release for the time being. It took a lot to be able to stop himself from coming already, but he did it for Gavin, so that he could finish first.

 

Ryan placed one hand on Gavin's hip, and the other around his manhood, helping him along by jerking him, moving his hand in rhythm with his thrusting. His hand dug into the fleshy part of the brunette's thigh as his chest pressed up against the other's; their bodies seeming to merge into one and molding together in perfection. A second time, Ryan felt his end coming near, quicker than the first time. His eyes were glued on Gavin's face, taking in every line and freckle of his features.Nothing else mattered to him in that moment, just him and the Brit were the only things in the world. He closed his eyes tightly as both the movements to his pelvis and hand quickened, his vision going white for a split second, and without realizing it, he allowed himself to keep going until he released his seed deep inside of the brunette. It was a relieving feeling after holding it in.

 

The Vagabond looked back down at Gavin to see if he was disappointed that he had finished so quickly, but he looked down between their bodies, seeing the white fluids that were sticking between their stomachs and realized Gavin had also came when he did. He was rather flattered. The brunette's legs slipped from Ryan's waist, and his arms loosened a bit but he still clung to him closely. His eyes fluttered close before sliding open again; eyes glazed, face content and relaxed. He looked like he would fall asleep at any second. Ryan decided to take that chance to lean down, capturing Gavin's lips with his own to steal a chaste kiss.

 

Gavin didn't seem to notice, since he was already half asleep. He mumbled against Ryan's lips and his eyes slipped close. The gang member pulled away, smiling happily at the sleeping face of the Brit. He looked rather cute and peaceful, however, Ryan was left to clean up. He, too, was feeling tired, so he maneuvered himself out of Gavin's arms and carefully guided his softening manhood from inside him. It was a pain in the ass, but he knew he would have to find something to clean them both up with. After zipping up his jeans, he felt around the room until he found the door leading back out into the hallway. The light blinded him for a moment; he ignored the stinging in his eyes as he made his way to the bathroom, stumbling through the door due to the strength leaving his legs after that little romp.

 

After yanking open door after door to the cabinets, he finally found what he was looking for: a towel. Once he was finished with his scavenging hunt, he made quick work of wiping off the sticky liquid from his black shirt. That would probably stain, and he'd have to throw it out. Didn't really matter since he had like 20 of them at home. He then headed back to the bedroom, almost getting lost along the way; he was pretty out of it when he was tired. Gavin was sprawled out on the bed, sound asleep by time he returned. Ryan knelt against the bed and cleaned up any traces of seminal fluid he could find on Gavin, and then tossed the towel onto the floor lazily.

 

As soon as everything was cleaned up, Ryan wasted no time in laying down on the bed next to the Brit and curling up beside him, falling asleep right along with him in less than a minute of closing his eyes. The exhaustion was enough to cause him to fall asleep rather quickly.

 

 

An hour slipped by into the night, Ryan began to stir in his rest until he found himself slowly coming back to consciousness. The only thing he could see was blackness, and for a second he panicked, until he sat up and saw he was sat right next to the British idiot that had gotten himself drunk and somehow talked him into sleeping with him. Ryan stared down at his sleeping form, taking in every inch of his body with his eyes. He was a sight to behold, who would be able to deny him?

 

The Vagabond groaned quietly, palming his head with his hand. He had a huge headache. Feeling leather beneath his hand, he was relieved that he at least had the sense to keep his mask on the whole time. Although sleeping in it was less than pleasurable. He probably would have suffocated if he had slept the whole night.

 

Like a light switch, Ryan finally realized what he had just done. He went over the details of what he had done to the man he had come to love, how he had taken advantage of him. Gavin was drunk, he wasn't in his right mind at that moment when he said he wanted to have sex. He probably wouldn't have agreed at all if he were sober. Ryan felt horrible, like he was no better than that man that tried to sexually assault Gavin the other night. Would he be angry with him when he finds out? Will he never want to see him again?

 

It was possible, and that alone made The Vagabond feel sick to his stomach. He did the one thing he didn't want to do, ruin the friendship he was building up. When Gavin wakes up and remembers what he did to him, he'd surely come to hate him. It was too late to go back now, though. What's done is done. "Sorry, Gav. . ." Ryan muttered under his breath as he rested his hand down on the sleeping Brit's face, caressing his tanned cheek before placing a feather light kiss to his forehead. "I hope I can make it up to you some day. . ." He didn't think of the words before they came out of his mouth, but once they were said, he understood what they meant. He would have to leave Gavin and stay away from him. For how long, he wasn't sure. At least long enough to get over the feelings he has buried inside him. So, possibly he'd have to avoid him forever.

 

Ryan reluctantly pulled away from Gavin, saying one last finally goodbye before he picked up his jacket from the floor and tiptoed out of the bedroom, into the blinding hallway, and out into the cold and bitter streets. The frozen air only made him feel worse, like it was physically slapping him in the face for being such a horrible person. As he made his way back home, he knew he deserved it.


	6. Chapter 6

Green eyes twitched in the darkness, slowly cracking open as they take in the small amount of light pouring in from the window. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, but once they did, Gavin realized he had a huge headache. His brain pounded and urged him to close his eyes again, but he tried to fight it off, sitting up slowly and carefully. "Bugger me. What the hell did I get into last night." He muttered to himself, his memories gradually coming back to him as he looked around the room, seeing his clothing thrown around the floor carelessly.

 

Bit by bit he began to put the pieces together like a puzzle. He remembers meeting up with The Vagabond and going to their usual spot. Then he drank a little, played some darts, came home, then. . .

 

Gavin groaned and rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the pang in his head. Things were still a little fuzzy, and he mostly thought what had happened was a dream. But seeing the state of his bedroom, and the hint of a soreness in his behind, he realized it wasn't. He and the masked man had sex. And as Gavin recalled more and more details, he could remember he was the one who initiated it. He wasn't surprised, really, because he had always been attached to The Vagabond ever since they first met. Sure he had been scared of him, but he also saved him! Who wouldn't fall in love with someone who saved their lives countless times?

 

The brunette slowly laid his body back down as he stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't just because he saved him, it was many things about the mysterious masked man that drew him in. It was his intelligence, the way he cared so much about him, and his clever and witty remarks. Everything about him reminded him of Michael, besides the fact that he wasn't as angry towards him as Michael had been. He had really been wanting to tell the man how he felt, but he figured that he hasn't even told him his real name, or shown him his face. . .so there was no way he felt the same way for him. Gavin must have just been an annoying hindrance to him, and that hurt.

 

Turning on his side, Gavin stared at the digital clock beside his bed. It was too bright to stare at, but he didn't care; he stared anyway. It was four in the morning, and the Brit was exhausted and felt sick to his stomach, but he was too upset to fall back asleep. He had pushed himself onto the guy he had come to develop feelings for. He made a real fool of himself and probably chased him away for good. The Vagabond probably only slept with him out of pity. Not only did he get mugged all the time and couldn't protect himself, but he also got himself piss drunk and acted like a desperate whore. It was embarrassing.

 

Turning back onto his back, the Brit sighed loudly and forced himself to get up into a sitting position, standing onto his feet and making his way to the bathroom. Along the way, he picked up his discarded pants and shirt. It was four, so maybe The Vagabond was still out. He could always find him and try to apologize to him, maybe ask if he still wanted to be friends. Once he began to walk, the forward motion caused his stomach to stir. A wave of nausea hit him like a ton of bricks. He dropped to his knees in front of the toilet and emptied the contents of his stomach, lurching forward and gagging as bright yellow fluids came from inside his stomach. He really shouldn't have drank that beer so fast.

 

After the first wave hit, another one soon followed, and he found himself vomiting three times until it finally subsided for the time being. Staggering to his feet, Gavin grabbed the side of the sink and slapped the handle to turn the cold water on. He couldn't waste too much time, he needed to go find his masked friend.

 

Once he got himself cleaned up and dressed, he was out the door quickly, all the while muttering to himself how stupid he was. He took his car and started it, taking off into the quiet city. His eyes were still a bit blurred from his killer headache, and his stomach was screaming at him to go back to the bathroom because it was going to explode, but he ignored everything his body was telling him; he was determined to find The Vagabond. There was still a chance he was walking around somewhere, since he's always around these parts of town late at night.

 

Each face he past, he looked to see if any one of them had a skull mask, but there was no successful results. Just normal faces. A couple people noticed him staring, and glared at him back as if they were expecting him to rob them. He chose to ignore them and continued on with his search. He lapped around the city at least three times, and before he knew it, the sun began to appear in the sky. The darkness was being chased away by the rising sun and more and more people were waking up to get ready for work; cars filled the streets one by one.

 

Gavin looked at the clock in his car. It was 7:30 am. The Vagabond wouldn't be out when the morning hits, for whatever reason he doesn't come out in the morning. There was one instance when they stayed out all night and as soon as the sun started to come up he was in a hurry to get home. The Brit thought maybe he was a vampire. But of course that was a dumb idea. Unless this was a Twilight book, there was slim chances of that being the case. Gavin didn't question it though, he just took it how it was. In fact, there was a lot he didn't question about The Vagabond, even though he was curious. He just didn't want to step over any boundaries just yet.

 

There were no signs of the masked man, so Gavin decided to give up for the night. He would be sure to check again once night falls. No matter how long it takes or how hard it will be, he was going to find The Vagabond. But for now, he had to head back home and get some sleep before it was time for work. He had almost forgotten he had to be in later in the day. He was thinking of just calling in sick since his stomach was still giving him problems, but he knew he needed the money.

 

So it was back home he went, a quick shower, and back to bed until 4 PM when he would start his shift. He tucked into the sheets, newly changed since the old ones were dirty, and made an attempt to fall back asleep. It was no easy task, not only because he wasn't feeling well physically, but also because mentally he was feeling uneasy. He wasn't used to feeling this stressed about anything in his life, he usually takes everything in stride and goes with the flow. But there was something about the idea of losing his new friend that made him sick to his stomach. He couldn't let that happen.

 

Eventually he had fallen asleep and was able to get a whopping two full hours before he was awake again. The sickness he was feeling had died down, but he was still feeling depressed. It wasn't nearly time to get ready, so in a last attempt to get enough sleep to be able to function, Gavin closed his eyes and focused on resting.

 

It was in vain, however, because no matter how hard he tried, he just ended up being woke up by some unknown force an hour or two later. He was in the middle of his fifth attempt to sleep when his alarm for work had gone off. With a groan, the Brit shifted off the bed and went to get himself ready; not looking forward to the day ahead of him.

 

Work was always brutal, but it was tolerable. It was mundane, just a simple office job. He was in charge of filing the reports for the boss and whatever else was needed of him. The boss's pet is what everyone called him, which wasn't a fair nickname, because the boss seemed to hate him more than anyone else in that workplace. Every day Gavin would clock in for work, try to socialize with his coworkers, only to be shut out and ignored. No one seemed to want to talk to him. So he would get on with his work, looking over the payrolls, checking the billing statements, getting the manager his coffee.

 

Every day it seemed like the head of the office grew more and more tired of seeing Gavin's face. Whatever it was, there was something about the Brit that people seemed to hate. Walking into the office, Gavin cleared his throat and sat down a cup of the hot beverage his manager requested. "Here you are, Mr. Ramsey, Sir." He said with what was an attempt to be polite, but came out more stuck up than he had intended. "I told you to call me Geoff." The boss replied in return, turning his attention onto the brunette. "After all, we're friends, are we not?"

 

The tone he used in that phrase told Gavin they were indeed NOT friends. The Brit stared at the desk for a few moments before forcing a smile. "Sure." He muttered. "We're friends. Take care." He spun on his heels to leave the room and head back to his own work, when Geoff cleared his throat, causing Gavin to stop in his tracks and turn back to him. Looking at the man, you wouldn't really expect him to be the type to be in control of a business. His arms were covered in tattoos, even though they were hidden behind sleeves, it was easy to see them climbing down to his hands and fingers. His tired eyes always looked on with irritation and a glint of an "always drunk" gaze. His facial hair was something out of an old timey superhero movie; the typical "bad guy" mustache. The only "boss" thing going for him was the fact that he always wore the same black suit every day. Come to think of it. . .had Gavin seen that suit somewhere else before?

 

Before he could finish his thoughts, Geoff pushed himself off the chair he was sitting in and walked towards the Brit, eyeing him up before leaning in close to his ear, whispering. "You'll see soon enough how much of a "friend" I can be." He then finished with giving Gavin a pat on the shoulder before taking his leave of his office and leaving Gavin extremely confused and worried from the way he said that. But he didn't have time to care about that, he had a lot of paperwork that needed to be done before he left. So brushing off the weird comment, Gavin made his way back to his own office with a quick pace; his eyes peering around to make sure no one was slacking off, not that he ever did anything when they were, anyway.

 

Once he sat down, he breathed a sigh of relief that he was finally going to be able to do something productive for the day. He got out the report, slapped it down on the desk, put the pen to the paper, and then. . .stared. Eyes met words, but they were never read. His hand didn't move a single inch from the position he had started in. Something was. . .off.

 

Heaving a sigh, the brunette sat the pen down and scratched his head. Of course something was off, something was always off when it came to it being his life. He's hit with bad luck no matter where he goes. He got stuck with a crap job, no friends, his lover was killed, he gets mugged almost every single week, crashes his car every other week, and now when he had finally started to become happy again, he goes and ruins it. The Vagabond was easily the only good thing about Gavin's life, and now he doesn't even have that.

 

The Brit made a few pathetic attempts to focus on his work, but couldn't get into it. Eventually he put the blank report into his desk and got up from his seat, walking out of the office and into the crowded hallways of the building. He didn't notify his boss that he was leaving, but he didn't really care if Geoff would be angry with him or not. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a clock hanging on the wall, briefly noting that it was 8 PM. He had been sitting there doing nothing for a good two hours and hadn't realized it. He supposed depression did that to people, but he wasn't sure; he rarely got it.

 

Once out into the parking lot, he got into his car and started it up. He needed to get away from work for now; it wasn't doing him any good. He knew the one place he could go that would calm him down: the graveyard. It was a short drive away, so it only took him about five minutes to drive to the location.

 

Once he arrived, he parked next to the fence around the side of the yard to keep it out of public view. He got out of the car and climbed up the side of the hill that connected to the flat ground that held the gravestones. It was a small cemetery; mostly only holding those who were labeled criminals. Gavin never understood why they buried Michael here when he died, because he wasn't a criminal. But everyone was hush-hush about it when he would ask. The main reason the graveyard was so poorly maintained was because not many people got buried here, and no one cared to come visit people like these. Gavin rarely saw anyone else around whenever he would come out to pay his respects.

 

To him, it mattered very little where Michael was buried; he still would visit him no matter where he was. Every time he would kneel by the headstone that he had paid for, because no one else would, and he would talk to him just like they would when he was alive. The pain never subsided no matter how often he would do this ritual; he would still feel the sting of losing a loved one. But he couldn't stop, couldn't abandon him.

 

Dropping down to his knees beside the headstone, Gavin took a deep breath and looked down at the ground where he knew his friend lay. "Hey, Michael. I'm sorry it's been awhile since I last came to visit. I just, you know. . ." He scratched his cheek and chuckled, feeling nervous even though he knew he were really talking to no one. "Well, it's kind of awkward bringing my new friend around here. And since we have been hanging out more often recently, I. . . " He paused in in statement and frowned, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "Sorry, boy. I promised I wouldn't fall for anyone else but you. Turns out I couldn't keep my promise."

 

He took a deep breath before he continued. "Look, here's the thing, okay. . .Um. He's just a really cool bloke, you know? Like, he reminds me a lot of you. And also. . ." He paused, scratching his head and looking away. "He means a lot to me. You still mean a lot to me, too, but. . .I hope you understand. He makes me feel safe, and I feel like I can just tell him anything. He's got this scary aura about him, but he lets me get away with a lot." He grinned happily before continuing. "I call him a right prick all the time and he just doesn't seem to care. It's a lot of fun. He's a funny chap, he is." His smile faded a bit, eyes lowering down to his lap.

 

"I don't know what to do, Michael. I feel like I bollocks up everything. Things were going great, and then I. . .Well not getting into any details, I pretty messed up. I'm not really sure what to do now." He stared down at the slab of rock for a full minute before standing up to his feet quickly. "I know, I have to find him and set things right. That's what you would have wanted me to do, right?" He smiled faintly before saying one last goodbye. "I gotta go, boy. But I promise I'll be back. See you later, Michael." The Brit quickly made his way out of the graveyard and back to his car, jumping in and taking off back into the streets.

 

It was already dark, but it wasn't late enough for Gavin to run into The Vagabond just yet. He had spent nearly half an hour at the cemetery, so it was nearing 9 PM. The earliest Gavin has ever seen his masked friend was 11 PM, so he still had a couple hours to grab something to eat; he realized he hadn't eaten all day.

 

Finding something to do for two hours turned out to be difficult when the only thing on his mind at that moment was finding The Vagabond, so after taking about an hour to finish a quick meal he picked up at a fast food restaurant, he was out yet again searching for anyone wearing a mask. Street after street he looked, checking everyone's face for any sign of a skull. None proved to be who he was looking for, but he wasn't going to give up. He knew The Vagabond was going to be out, he just had to be. He was out and about every night. If he had to wait for him, he sure would. He would drive around and wait until morning if he had to. Anything to find him.

 

One hour slipped by, and then two, and then three. It was approaching 1 am with an agonizing slowness, and yet still he couldn't find hide nor hair of the leather clad man. The brunette had to stop and get gas every hour, which was draining his budget quickly. But he didn't care; he was determined, and nothing was going to hold him back. He drove around the city one last time before something hit him like a brick wall: every time he has seen The Vagabond, he had been around the same part of town, so why would he be anywhere different?

 

Gavin sighed and laid his head against the steering wheel. He very may well have wasted a lot of time and gas going around the city where the man he was looking for rarely ventured. There was a very small chance he was anywhere on the other side of the city, even though that's where he claimed to live, which made no sense to Gavin. But the fact of the matter was, he's always in the south side of Los Santos, so that's where he should be looking. Propping himself back up and veering the car in reverse, the Brit hightailed it back down towards his house.

 

Once back in the south side of the city, he drove by a couple more people. He checked their faces, and his heart dropped when he spotted one of them. A man in a suit and a bison mask, just like the other night. He didn't seem to notice him, though, which Gavin was relieved about. He quickly made a turn, watching the bison masked man turning the other corner and disappearing into the night. The brunette sighed and continued his search, making sure to be extra careful with making it obvious that he was looking for someone.

 

Half an hour past, no sign of The Vagabond, but he could feel inside his chest that he was getting close to his goal. If he looked just a bit more, maybe he would find him. He was beginning to get tired, though, and contemplated just going back home and sleeping for an hour or two, but he sucked it up and continued his search. Every few blocks he would get out of his car and check the allies, even though it was dangerous and he risked being mugged again. Maybe getting mugged wouldn't be so bad, after all, The Vagabond was always there whenever he did, which made Gavin feel sort of like a princess. It was nice.

 

No one seemed to be in the mood to mug him that night, though. In fact, he was beginning to see less and less people in the streets and the corners than he just had half an hour ago. Where was everyone? The Brit wondered to himself if perhaps the reason why there weren't anyone around was because they were being chased away. He noticed a lot of times when people see the skull mask The Vagabond always wore, they would get frightened and run away. Gavin couldn't figure out if it was because of the mask, or the man behind the mask. There was still so much the Brit didn't know about his friend, that he wanted to know about.

 

Walking back to his car, he made a reach for the handle when he heard what sounded like two people fighting in the alley next to him. His heart picked up a quick pace, and he froze like a deer in headlights. That was really close to him, and whoever was attacking could very well kill their victim and come for him next if they see him. He fumbled with the door handle to his car and whipped it open quickly, putting one foot in before a voice made him stop. One of the men yelled, but he couldn't make it out. However, he did recognize the tone of voice.

 

That was definitely The Vagabond. He'd recognize his voice anywhere. There was no hesitation at that point; if his friend was in trouble he wanted to do what he could to help, even if there wasn't much he could do. He had to repay him for all the times he had saved him. So, without a second to spare, Gavin took off and ran towards were the sounds were coming from. In the distance his eyes caught what looked like an aggressive fight between two wolves. Bodies were moving every which way and they were both being tossed around into the wall, tripping over each other and stumbling around in the dark.

 

In a split second, a car had drove by the alley and Gavin could see in that moment The Vagabond quite clearly, his skull mask painted in red, his eyes shining over with rage, he saw every detail of his body. In front of him, there was the same man Gavin had saw before, bison mask staring at a black and red skull before him. The other man looked hurt, a lot more hurt than The Vagabond looked. The Brit froze in his steps, he was frightened by the scene before him, and he was confused. He didn't understand what was going on, didn't understand why his friend was attacking another man, but he knew there had to be a reason. The Vagabond was a good guy deep inside his heart, and he knew that. So there had to be an explanation. This wasn't the same guy he knew and fell in love with.

 

Beside the bison masked man, Gavin noticed another lump of shadows. It looked like a dead body, but the Brit wasn't completely sure. He tried taking in everything at once, but it was just too much for him. The suit wearing man slid against the wall, clearly in pain and about to pass out from his injuries, and that's when Gavin saw The Vagabond going in for the kill. Without thinking, the brunette leaped forward from his spot; forcing his legs to work as he dashed forward towards the two men. His voice got caught in his throat, but he was able to scream one word. "Stop!" The Vagabond reacted to the sound and stopped his attack, and without any time to even blink, green eyes met blue and in an instant everything halted.

 

Gavin's legs refused to move anymore, and he was stiff in his spot. A cold chill ran up his spine, and at first he wondered briefly if it was because of the weather, or because of the icy glare The Vagabond had given him. A sharp pain stuck him; he felt it in his chest and it ran all the way up to his neck. Taking a moment to question what had happened, he didn't have to wonder long once his eyes trailed from The Vagabond's face, down to his arm, and to his hand that was attached to a knife handle that was sticking out of the brunette's left breast. His body went numb and his brain ran on adrenaline. He couldn't think of anything as he felt himself losing strength in his legs.

 

Dropping down to the ground, the Brit tried to hold himself up using the masked man's arm, but his vision was quickly fading on him. Was this it? Was he dying? There was no flash of his life before his eyes like he heard so much about, instead it was just darkness surrounding his vision and pain retching his body; holding him tightly like a vice. With the last of his strength, he knew he had to at least say something to his friend. His brain wasn't functioning for him, though. The only thing he managed to get out was a weak statement. "Please stop." He wasn't even sure what he was asking him to stop, but he knew something had to be done. Gavin's conscious was quickly slipping away from him, and he wasn't sure if he was even closing his eyes anymore, all knew he was he couldn't see, and his body was getting more numb by the second. Soon enough, he couldn't see, he couldn't hear, and his mind faded from everything around him as he lost consciousness.

 

What lame last words.


	7. Chapter 7

After Ryan had left Gavin's house, it took him nearly an hour to get back home, even though it usually only took twenty minutes. He wasn't sure why it had taken him twice as long, and he honestly couldn't remember what he was doing or what he was thinking the whole way back. His brain was numb; void of any and all thought. The only thing he remembered was leaving, and then after an hour had past, he was in front of his house door. He looked up, staring at his home that was covered in shadows. It felt fitting; his house looked as dark as he felt.

 

As he stepped inside, he dully took note that he had forgotten to check the mail, and that there were four newspapers scattered on the porch, wet from the rain nights before. Inside, you wouldn't expect it to look as normal as it was. For a serial killer, his house looked like an average Joe's; minus the secret closet he keeps locked up that holds a hoard of weapons and torture devices. The other not-so-normal thing that littered his house was a variety of computer equipment. The job he had previously was a boring little technician job that had him fixing up computers for idiots who had never heard of a blue screen. He still kept some of the parts so he could work on them as a hobby, since he no longer required a day job to earn money; the gang gig paid the bills rather well.

 

Kicking over a stray computer mouse, Ryan shuffled his way through his living room and into the bedroom. His house was small, being only two floors; the main floor where everything was located: the bedroom, living room, the one bathroom, the kitchen. And then there was the attic that he rarely ventured and was pretty unused. Opening the door to his bedroom, he eyed the full sized bed and instantly felt his legs turn to jello at the sight of it. He had been drained physically and mentally by the night and just wanted to get some shut eye. Once he had his mask slipped up over his face and tossed onto the floor; discarding his jacket as well, he flopped onto his stomach without bothering with changing out of his jeans or do any other nightly routine. His eyes stared at the digital clock on his nightstand. It was nearly four thirty in the morning. Slowly he began to slide his eyelids closed. He was out like a light within a mere five minutes.

 

By time the next afternoon had slipped by, The Vagabond had began to awaken from his deep slumber. A bright and blinding light poked though the drawn curtains, causing Ryan's eyes to squeeze shut before slowly opening up, attempting to filter out the light and see something other than white. Once his eyes had adjusted, he took a few seconds to fully wake before sitting up and staring out the window. He was in his own bed, in his own house, yet he couldn't help but feel off, like something wasn't right. He was used to feeling alone, since he has spent almost his entire life alone, but somehow it seems different, like he was for once truly alone. And it just didn't set right with him.

 

It more than didn't set right with him, it pissed him off and made his chest feel tight and heavy. He could take being pissed off, be he wasn't used to feeling the emotion of sadness. He was frustrated and confused and angry with himself. He was angry, both because he had let himself actually fall for someone even though he swore he never would, and also angry because he had ruined everything he had been working towards just because he couldn't control himself. He had always had issues with self control, and sometimes it gets so bad that he will black out for hours without realizing it, but he had never addressed those issues because to him it didn't matter. If he went on a killing spree(weirdly enough, killing was also a pretty good outlet for him) and slaughtered a bunch of people, who cares? Well. . .besides the police and the victim's families. He didn't care about all that, but now that his self-control problem had affected him, he was reeling in agony. He could have stopped, he knew he could. But he also knew he couldn't. He probably wouldn't have stopped even if he could; he had really wanted to know what it was like to make love to Gavin, and just didn't think of the consequences until it was too late.

 

Now it was too late. By now Gavin should have woken up and remembered what he had mistakenly agreed to. Ryan wondered if he was feeling disgusted, if he was telling himself he'd never trust Ryan again. He wanted nothing more than to go back to Gavin and apologize to him, but with his track record, he knew it would just end badly.If Gavin was angry with him and told him to his face, Ryan knew he wouldn't be able to control himself and he would most likely kill Gavin out of sheer anger. He couldn't let himself do that. He was already so full of rage already; the build up of blood lust from the lack of killing had only made it worse. He felt like he could explode any second, but he tried to hold it in.

 

Continuing with his inner turmoil, Ryan stood to his feet and figured it would be a good idea to cool himself off with a splash of cold water. So he made his way to the bathroom with a sluggish pace. He wasn't used to sleeping for over seven hours, so his body was feeling heavy. He made it into the next room and held onto the edge of the sink as he stared at himself in the mirror. Judgmental, piercing blue eyes stared back at him, fueling his hate for himself even more. His sand-coloured hair was disheveled, making him look like a murderer without the aide of his mask. His skin was pale like usual, making him look sickly. He rarely went out into the day time unless he had a mind to or needed to run to the store. He didn't have much of a social life and only went out on rare occasions, so his skin barely touched sunlight. He was barely thirty years old, but he felt like the pale skin and dark circles under his eyes aged him a good ten years. Ryan grabbed onto the handle of the sink and turned the water on, letting it run as his eyes caught the reflection again.

 

He stared at himself for a good long while without realizing it. His mind just seemed to kick off and wander aimlessly into space. He was staring so much to the point he wasn't even looking at what was in front of him, he was just looking at an empty black hole. His brain sent him black images of nothing, and his body responded to it by causing his finger tips to numb. Swirls of white caught in his vision, and clouds covered his view and seemed to encircle in his entire brain. Soon, it was almost like his body was floating in air, and he subconsciously could feel himself slipping away from his own lifeform. Within a split second, it all stopped and his vision was back to normal, he found himself still standing in his bathroom and looking into the mirror which had a thin layer of fog covering it. He looked down at the sink, and once he noticed the steam coming off of the basin, he realized he had turned the hot water on by accident. He wasn't sure how much time he had spent in there, but it mattered very little to him. He shut the water off and decided to abandon the idea of cooling himself off, and instead ventured into the living room.

 

In front of him stared a closet that had been barely touched over the last few months. One that had four different locks on it. Today was the day it would be opened, he decided. Ryan took a few steps forward until he was standing in front of a small table next to the door. The drawer inside held the keys that were needed to open up the closet. Three keys were what he fished out, and one by one each lock was done until one combination remained. He entered the code, and was granted access. A weak smirk appeared on his features as he swung the door open and took a long look of what was inside. All kind of different guns hung on racks and were attached to the door, machetes, hunting blades, and even a katana were also present. There were a couple flare guns, just for fun. But Ryan's pride and joy was his rocket launcher. He never uses it, of course, but he loved to look at it and imagine how he would die: launching rocket after rocket into a crowded street and then having to be taken out by the police. It was the best way to go, in his opinion.

 

His eyes shifted around, looking at every one of his weapons he had acquired over the years. His memories flooded back into his head and the stories behind each and every single one of them played out like he had just used them yesterday. It was a nostalgic feeling to relive those times, even if they were just in his memory. Eventually, he settled on taking out a revolver from the lineup of six he had in his arsenal. He gazed down at it, the reflection catching his interest. He always loved shiny weapons. They were so appealing. He took in every little detail of the gun before he sat himself down on the couch, cocking the gun and pointing it towards the window. He closed his left eye and aimed, putting his finger on the trigger, but didn't fire. He chuckled darkly to himself as he spun the gun around, pointing the barrel to his temple and squeezing the trigger. He knew two of the guns had bullets. But did he pick up one of the ones that did? It didn't really matter at that moment; he wanted to feel something other than pain. The risk of dying was excited. It thrilled him. Without a second thought, he twitched his finger against the trigger. A click was all that was heard for a good minute until Ryan dropped the gun and tilted his head down, letting out a quiet giggle that soon turned into a full blown laugh. He laughed, and laughed, until the laughing got louder and more sinister. He threw his head back and let out the loudest and most insane cackle he has ever given. He didn't stop for a whole three minutes. The laughter slowly faded into a quiet chuckle, until eventually it had died altogether and replaced with an intense glare. His eyes pierced the wall as if there was someone there that he disliked.

 

Standing to his feet with a slight stagger, Ryan kicked the gun away and instead grabbed a small hunting knife from the closet. He took aim at the wall again and threw it hard. The blade stuck into the wall and the handle wobbled before stilling. The feeling of throwing the knife and hearing it stick into something, even though it wasn't a person, exhilarated The Vagabond and made his heart pump quickly. His fingers twitched in anticipation, and he felt like he wanted to stab something else. Something soft, maybe. He spun around and looked around frantically for anything, deciding on going for the couch. A wide grin spread across his features as he stalked towards the furniture like it was his prey. He took one step off the floor and lunged himself into the cushion, jabbing the knife into it and sliding it down slowly. The fabric ripped easily and stuffing poked out of the tear. It still wasn't enough for him. He didn't feel satisfied. His next target was the kitchen, so he yanked the knife out and made his way into the small area. His eyes darted around again, searching for anything else that might satisfy him. That's when he noticed something black out of the corner of his eye.

 

Tied tightly around the arm of the one dinning chair he had, Ryan spotted a black cloth dirtied with dried blood. When Gavin had given the piece of cloth he had used to close up his wound back to him, Ryan had initially wanted to discard it. But when he tried to, he couldn't bring himself to do it. So as stupid as it seemed, he decided to keep the cloth so he would never forget that night; it was a reminder to him to never let anything bad happen to Gavin. But he did. He did something bad to him, and now the hope of ever being with Gavin was gone forever. Because of himself.

 

The feeling of excitement diminished and was replaced with rage yet again. Ryan didn't try to hold back anymore, he was tired of fighting it. His body seemed to move on its own as he lifted the knife up above his head and brought it down straight through the weak wooded table. His hand twitched slightly before pulling the blade out and driving it back in. It wasn't satisfying. Turning his attention to the chair, he grabbed it with his other hand and threw it against the wall. It didn't break, just crumbled to the floor with a couple thudding noises. It wasn't enough, he wanted more. His eyes landed on a glass cup that held half a glass of water still. He picked it up and chucked it at the wall, water and glass flying in every direction. A nice little wet spot on the wall and shards of glass were all that was left. Seeing and hearing the destruction he caused only fueled him more, and he couldn't stop. Slipping the hunting knife into his pocket, he fully turned his attention back towards the living room where a stray computer monitor had been left out. He walked over to it, nice and slow like, before arching his leg back and taking a hard swing at the glass screen. That, too, shattered and his foot was stuck inside the device for a few moments. The jagged and broken edge of the monitor held onto his leg like an alligator. Feeling the pain in his ankle caused him to boil over. Using his weight, he stamped down on the broken computer and nearly cracked it in half. It crunched and gave way under his strength and he was able to free himself from its grip.

 

His anger still wasn't satisfied. Letting out a quiet growl, he stormed off to his bedroom, kicking over a small table that had a vase on top of it along the way, as well as knocking some paintings off the wall and allowing them to crash onto the floor, wood and glass splitting and spilling onto the floor. Nothing easily breakable was safe. He grabbed a hold of the door handle and jimmied it, giving a hard yank to the door, but it seemed to have been stuck. How dare the door defy him? He would teach it a lesson. And so he did, by yanking so hard that he tore two hinges off the door frame. He kicked the middle of the wooden door and it easily caved in and fell flat inside the bedroom, letting him easily step over it and access the room. Seeing his mask lying on the floor, he picked it up and placed it over his face. He didn't check to see what time it was, but he didn't really care. Night had already fallen and that was good enough for him. He slipped his coat on and quickly headed out the door. He would find something to do outside, for sure.

 

There were still plenty of people out and about, so Ryan figured it would be best if he hid out in the allies for awhile. So that's what he did, stalked the dark corridors of the city. He spotted a few youngsters taking out the trash while they were closing up a restaurant near by. The Vagabond stood beside the dumpster and stared the two boys down as they made their way over to him, making them drop their haul once they had noticed him there and quickly ran back inside the building. Once they had disappeared, he abandoned that alley and ventured behind a few more buildings until he was in another one. There, he met a middle aged woman with long blonde hair and a tank top that was too big and shorts that were too small. He recognized her as one of the many prostitutes that worked the corners at night. Slipping his knife out of his pocket, Ryan walked over to her, making uneven steps as if he was drunk. A wicked grin was hidden behind his mask as he tapped the knife against his face.

 

"Hey, sweetcheeks. How much for you to sit on my knife and ride it like a horse?" He laughed dryly and cocked his head to the side. The woman gave him a sideways glance and scoffed. "Great, it's the lunatic. Get lost, punk." She replied back, making Ryan glare daggers at her. "What did you say, bitch?" He spat in her direction, squeezing the handle of his knife hard enough to cause his knuckles to turn white. "You heard me, weirdo." He wanted nothing more than to let his knife taste blood, but he didn't, instead he took the highroad and walked away, mumbling to himself in annoyance.

 

Over the next couple hours, Ryan did nothing but torment and pester random people he saw, taunting them when they would run away and if they didn't run, he'd make sure he scared them off some way or another. He was having fun, but his blood lust wasn't running low. In fact, it might have been getting worse after seeing person after person get away from him and not a single one falling victim to him. It had been too long since he had felt the touch of blood running through his fingers, and he was missing it. There were starting to be less and less people out in the city streets, and humans were becoming more rare to find. He did see a couple stray cats, though. But of course they were always too quick for him to catch. Once he rounded another corner, he heard someone making quick steps a few yards away from him. The air was still, there was no wind to be felt, so he was able to hear the tapping of shoes against concrete as loud as if they were right next to him. He didn't waste any time in hunting them down and finding out who they were, knife in hand. Turns out, he didn't have to walk far, because out of the shadows a bison mask poked out, shortly by the rest of the man's body, covered in a black suit.

 

Ryan snarled in response to the appearance and his grip on his knife tightened up. He was already in a bad mood, and seeing this guy was the last thing he wanted. The Bison stopped right in front of him and placed his hand on his hip as he spoke. "Well, well, well. Look who it is. The guard dog to that stupid British moron that keeps running out here in the middle of the night like a dumbass. Where is your little puppy at?" He laughed loudly before continuing. "Awe, did your scary face chase him away or something? What a shame. And you two were so attached." Ryan tensed up a bit, feeling anger rising in his stomach. "Don't bad mouth him." He growled, causing the suited man to scoff and roll his shoulders. "You don't scare me. I know deep inside you're just a big ass pussy who fell in love with a dope." The Bison stepped slightly closer to Ryan, getting mask-to-mask with him. "But let me tell you something, bud. I saw him first. And you better watch what territory you're stepping on."

 

The Vagabond offered a low growl in warning. "Like hell he's yours. I'd rather die than let you go near him." The way The Bison spoke, it kind of seemed like he had known Gavin before the night he tried to assault him. Either that, or he just has a weird fixation on him. Like some kind of stalker. Either way, Ryan didn't care. He wasn't going to let this guy go near his British idiot. The other man laughed louder, folding his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the other side. "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it? You can't do anything to me. If you do, your head will be on the chopping block for killing one of your own. You'll be in reaaaaal deep shit, Vagabond." Ryan hushed his words, understanding that what the man said was true. The boss didn't take too kindly towards inner gang turmoil. There was a silent moment between the two before The Bison continued with an amused tone. "Awe look, the big bad skeleton man turned into a gentle little bag of bones because he knows I'm right."

 

The suit wearing man looked off to the side as he chuckled darkly. "Good. You know your place. And once I get a hold of your little puppy you will know his place, too; right on my cock." Ryan physically flinched at the comment, but stiffened in his spot. The Bison didn't seem to be relenting, though. He could practically hear the smirk as he continued to speak. "He's scrawny, but he's got a nice ass for someone his size. I think I'll make it my job to take his virginity. After all, I know you're not man enough to do it yourself." Ryan's body tensed up, he was feeling himself begin to tremble with infuriating. "But don't worry, I'll be sure to let you watch your little pet being fucked by me." The Vagabond couldn't take it any longer, he felt himself snap in that moment and before he knew it, he was on the other man, pinning him to the ground and trapping him there. Crazed, intense blue eyes stabbed into the mask like a knife as he glared down at him, the look in his eye told the man that he was not the same person he was just a second ago. The amount of pressure he was applying to The Bison's arm to pin him down was enough to leave bruises. "If you. Go near. Gavin. I will. Kill. You." He said slowly, each word sounding more and more venomous than the last. The suited man struggled underneath The Vagabond, but it was no use, his strength was no match for him, especially when he was pissed off.

 

The sudden attack silenced the bison masked man, but Ryan wasn't done with him. Reeling his arm back, The Vagabond brought his fist down, pummeling the man beneath him over and over in the face. With each hit, he found himself growing less and less in control of himself and eventually his body was moving on his own. He gave a good five hard hits into his skull before he stopped and stood up off the other man, grabbing hold of the front of his suit and hoisting him up onto his feet. The man seemed dazed, not able to stand up on his own. Ryan shoved him against the wall, watching him slump down a few inches before he went in and grabbed his mask tightly, lifting his head off the brick wall a couple inches before slamming it back, causing a large "thud" sound. With a swift motion of his arm, he impaled the knife into the man's shoulder, causing him to scream out in pain. The sound made Ryan smile wide, a short evil cackle following. The sound was music to his ears.

 

Even though The Bison was in pain, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Once Ryan had yanked the knife out, the suited man took a swing at Ryan, his fist connecting with his jaw. The Vagabond flinched back, but was barely affected; going in for another stab at the man's arm. He pressed his body up against the other's, pinning him against the wall and causing him to not be able to move. This time, once the knife was nestled deep into his forearm, he jerked the blade around, digging it deeper and twisting it against his gang member's flesh. He continued to scream out in agony, kicking his legs and thrusting his body against Ryan, doing anything he could to try to escape him. But Ryan wasn't done with him just yet. The Bison seemed to be growing weaker with each pump of his heart, more and more blood dribbled out of his wounds and dripped to the concrete. With a blood stained hand, the suit wearing man tried to shove Ryan away, only being able to weakly shove his free hand against his mask, smearing crimson against the leather. The Vagabond's grin only widened more at the pathetic attempt. Yanking the blade out yet again, he continued to hold the man against the wall as he took a hold of the other's hand, pressing the handle of the knife gently against his fingers before pulling his hand away. Within a split second the handle came down and hammered the man's fingers into the brick wall. The force was enough for a cracking sound to echo down the alley. Another whimper and yelp came from the man before he began to beg. "Please stop! I'll do anything, just stop!"

 

But it was too late, The Vagabond wasn't going to stop. He was far too pissed and having way too much fun with torturing someone he despised. Soon enough, the man stopped struggling the more he was losing blood. Ryan let his body drop to the ground, still keeping a hold of his hand. He spread the man's fingers apart, gingerly slipping the sharp end of the weapon between the fingernail of his pointer finger and the fleshy part, he then used it like a hammer, hitting the handle with the palm of his hand and jamming the blade straight through the nail, ripping it off his finger and slicing it half way down the digit, making his finger look like a hot dog that had been in the microwave too long. The pain seemed to have been too much for the suited man, because there had been no noise after he had given one last blood curdling scream. Ryan shook him a bit to see if he was awake, but he didn't get a response. He seemed to be dead, which was disappointing, because he had wanted to torture him more; he had a lot more ideas that he wanted to do. Letting the body fall to the ground, The Vagabond spotted a figure out of the corner of his eye. Someone was standing there stunned and quiet, most likely someone who had come to check out the source of the noise. Ryan didn't care who they were or what they were doing, he just wanted to see more blood.

 

When The Vagabond turned and looked at the woman, who seemed to only be about a teenager, she turned and tired to make a run for it, but Ryan was quick to catch her, stabbing the young girl in the back and grabbing her neck, pulling her in deeper into the alley. He covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. Once he was back over to where he had left his crew member, he yanked the weapon from her back and tilted her head back, pressing it lightly against her neck. He took less than a second to then make a swiping motion across exposed skin and split her neck open, blood waterfalled out of the wound, the cut being deep enough to sever an artery. She choked on her own blood, her life quickly fading into nothing before she collapsed into a heap to the ground. Ryan was just a little disappointed in himself that he didn't take more time to enjoy the kill, but he knew it wouldn't be the last person he ran into. He kicked the body over by the wall and stared at it. Usually seeing dead bodies made him feel happy, but still he felt empty. He wasn't sure why. He put his knife away for the time being, feeling he no longer needed it.

 

Once he turned his body back around, he was startled to see the bison masked man standing to his feet again, broken glass bottle in his hand. The Vagabond's eyes burned as he stared daggers into him. It didn't seem like he was done just yet, which was fine with him, he didn't mind another fight. The Bison came at him with weak movements, still clearly hurt and not quite fully conscious. Ryan shielded his eyes as the suited man smashed more of the broken bottle against his head, shards of glass tumbling down onto his shoulders. He was lucky he had his mask on at that moment, or he might have had to remove pieces out of his head. The attack was quickly brushed off and he responded to it by shoving the man against the wall. The fight was one-sided, and Ryan didn't find it very fun at all. He wanted more of a challenge. But he figured he wouldn't be getting one from this half-dead man. It was better to just finish him off then and there. So that's what he went to do, but it seemed like the man still had some fight left in him. He pushed himself off the wall and tackled Ryan with all his weight, causing him to fall backwards and slam into the ground. He gave a grunt as the man began to yell in anger, bringing his fist down into The Vagabond's head. Being caught off guard, all Ryan could do for a few seconds was try to avoid the hits unsuccessfully. "Just die already!" Ryan screamed as he rolled himself over, switching their positions and trapping the weakened man against the ground. The Bison retaliated by using all of his strength to shove The Vagabond off him and sending him into the wall. "I refuse to die by you." He growled like a feral animal.

 

The two then clashed together like a pair of bucks going at it with their antlers. Both tried to overpower the other as their bodies locked together, fists swinging and hands grabbing for anything they could to try to pull the other off and gain the upper hand. In the end it was useless, The Vagabond was too strong and The Bison was too hurt. Ryan threw him off and towards the wall, slipping his knife from his pocket and staring him down with intense hatred and blood lust. He was going to do it, he was going to kill him. The man fell against the wall, defeated and battered. He gave up fighting and accepted what was inevitable. Ryan grinned widely at his act of submission. He happily accepted the invitation to finish him off, and he began to walk towards him quickly. His movement stopped, however, when he heard a voice a few feet away from him. His mind was too focused on his goal to even hear what was said, but all his brain pieced together was there was someone else there and he needed to get rid of them. Like it was instinctual, he turned quickly on a dime and focused his knife towards the stranger, making quick work with jabbing his knife right into whatever flesh he could hit first.

 

His eyes widened when he had seen pained green hues staring back at him. His whole body froze in place, and he felt his heart stop. The world around him halted for what seemed like minutes as he stared into the eyes of the man he loved. The man he had just stabbed. Without thinking, he quickly yanked the knife back and then dropped it, his body still with fear and shock. He was only able to move once he felt Gavin's body collapse onto the ground, quickly moving to catch him before he hit the concrete. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find what to say. He watched as the light in Gavin's eyes slowly faded, tears brimmed them as he spoke slowly. "Please stop. . ." He muttered, which made Ryan's heart hitch. He could do nothing but watch the life leave his body, his eyes closing and his face paling. Ryan's throat burned and his chest felt tight, his hands shaking like a crack addict. He watch blood trickle out of the corner of his mouth, as well as the tears he held in his eyes fall and slide down his cheek. He hadn't noticed that in that moment he also had tears in his eyes until he felt a wetness on his cheek. His eyes were stinging; he hadn't cried since he was a child. Nothing ever seemed to make him sad enough to want to. Until now it seemed.

 

He never knew he could even feel those emotions anymore. Dread, sorrow, pain. They were all just distant memories to him for years. He could only feel hatred and rage and blood lust. He never would have thought that they would all be returning to him and hitting him like a train all at once, all because of some British idiot he had coincidentally saved a couple times. This blue clad, golden sunglasses wearing moron that never seemed to take anything seriously, was always too lazy to give a damn about most things, would be the one to make him shed tears. It was incredible, and unlikely. But as he held the body of the man he loved, he realized it was real. Everything Ryan had felt for Gavin and because of Gavin was real. He killed the only happiness in his life. That was also real. He would never be able to tell him how he felt for him, express his love and ask him to stay by his side forever like he had dreamed about before. This wasn't a dream; there was no waking up from this nightmare.

So much for his promise to protect Gavin. . .

 

 

                                               


	8. Chapter 8

As Ryan held Gavin's limp and motionless body, another emotion began to bubble to the surface that he wasn't familiar with: desperation. His mind raced as he tried to think of any solution, anything that would save his life. There had to be something, this couldn't be it, right? Stupid doesn't die that easily! He tried to think, tried and tried, but nothing was popping out at him besides anguish and dread. His mind just wouldn't cooperate, all it kept saying was "Why?" as he attempted to stop the bleeding in his chest, pressing his hand hard against the stab wound. The blood was slowing down; less and less of it oozing out, but he still felt like he was getting no where; that it was too late. Never once has he ever felt this scared, it was a feeling all too foreign for him.

 

"Please. Please. . ." He begged, throat tight and voice just above a whisper. He never begged in his life, he was always one who believed in his personal pride and thought that begging was an embarrassing act. But there he was, begging to the Gods, begging to whoever would listen. "Please don't die. Please don't die." He choked back a sob as he applied more pressure to the wound. His chest was aching, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He was quickly losing faith that Gavin would survive, and the moment he gave up hope was the moment the realization hit him like speeding into a brick wall. He not only wanted Gavin to survive, he _needed_ him to survive. He needed Gavin more than he needed anyone; he was the only part of his life that gave him meaning. Without him, he knew he would just go back to being the psycho murderer that only killed people for fun. He didn't want to go back to that. With Gavin, things were brighter to him, he could see the light in the darkness. Gavin was his light. He kept him sane, kept him grounded to reality. Without him, he knew he'd be nothing but an empty shell of a person. It was a startling thought that one man could make him feel so much, but he knew that's what love was. At least, now he did.

 

And now he knew what it felt like to lose that love before it really began to blossom. He could see no signs of life coming from the brunette; there didn't seem to be any solace of hope. For the first time in a long time, Ryan felt helpless. He felt weak, not in control, lost, scared. . .alone. And there was nothing he could do about it. His body shook, his eyes closing tightly as he held Gavin closer to him; the pain only getting worse the longer he held on, but he couldn't let go. "I'm so sorry, Gavin. I'm so sorry. . ." He whispered as he hid his face into the Brit's shoulder, trying to feel for any sign of life he could. His body still felt warm, which he was thankful for. If his body were beginning to grow cold, Ryan knew his heart would freeze along with it. He wasn't sure what he was doing in that moment, why he was holding Gavin so close and refused to let go. All he knew was, it felt like it was something he'd been wanting to do for a long time. Just not like this.

 

Little by little he felt the light of his life fading. The more time went on, the less hope he had that he would ever get to hear that British accent that accompanied various strange noises. Never get to see those excited green eyes shine with enthusiasm when he had an idea. Never get to see that smug smile whenever he teased Ryan over something dumb he did, or watch as that smug smile fade away when he was afraid of what Ryan might do to him in return. There was a thought in the back of his head that said maybe, just maybe, he could live without him; after all, he's only known him for a few months, there's no way his life changed that drastically over one human. But he knew that was wrong. Very wrong. He couldn't explain it, and didn't feel like trying either, but for whatever reason, he knew it wasn't just coincidence that lead him to Gavin: it was fate.

 

Fate brought them together, but was it fate that was tearing them apart? Or was it karma? Maybe this is what Ryan deserved; the only happiness he had in life being ripped away from him was punishment for destroying so many lives and taking other people's loved ones away from them. He didn't like the feeling at all, and part of him wished that the Gods would have chosen to take him instead. Or at least he wished he would have gotten the chance to say goodbye. To say something to him. Even though it was a bitter thought, Ryan was going to get it out one way or another. Even if Gavin can't hear him, he still wanted to be able to say it, tell him how he truly felt for him. Maybe it would soften the blow just a little. "I. . ." He started, but the words caught in his throat and refused to come out. He wanted to say it so badly, but he lost his voice. His confession turned into agonized sobbing. He felt pathetic, ashamed. He couldn't even bring himself to say it. It was all too painful for him.

 

"I love you." He heard a voice say in a quite and hushed tone, almost like a ghost, but it's not his own. For a moment he was confused, like he was hearing voices in his head or something. But he soon realized the source of the voice, it came from below him. He reeled his head back and stared down at the brunette for a few seconds. He thought for sure he must have just heard something else. Maybe it was the wind. Gavin was dead, there's no way he could have spoke to him. It seemed like Ryan's habit of being wrong was starting to curse him yet again.

 

As if he was simply waking up from a nap, Gavin's eyelids began to raise as his green orbs stared up at Ryan, and he looked down into them, those eyes he thought he'd never see again, the ones that held so much light - the light to Ryan's life. The Vagabond couldn't feel anything in that moment but shock. Was he dreaming? Imagining things? He couldn't believe his own eyes, nothing seemed real. But as he heard more of that British accent, he knew it had to be real. "So please. . ." Gavin continued, voice weak and barely audible, but Ryan heard him; he listened closely to him, only focusing on his voice. "Don't cry."

 

As the two stared at each other, Ryan just couldn't figure out what to say, what to do. His head felt fuzzy, light. His heart swelled with so much emotion, and he felt his chest tightening up again, but for a different reason. "Gavin. . ." Was the only thing he was able to manage to get out, every other word he tried to speak died on his lips when he opened his mouth. The brunette smiled faintly as he brought a weak hand up to The Vagabond's face, setting it against his masked cheek before continuing. "I never got to tell you the night we spent together that you have beautiful eyes."

 

Ryan brought one hand up to gently rest against Gavin's as he continued to hold him with the other. There was no more doubt after that; Gavin had some how done something he thought to be impossible. He had never been so happy to be wrong about something. His eyes glanced down towards the Brit's chest, watching it rise and fall slowly. He couldn't control himself from slipping his hand from Gavin's and placing it against his chest. Feeling his heart beating brought more tears to his eyes, but he held them back. He heard Gavin chuckle, even though it was quiet. "What are you doing?" He asked the masked man. Finally, Ryan snapped out of his muteness and opened his mouth to speak. "I'm just. . .how are you alive? I mean. . ." He stuttered out, still not completely sure what to say in that moment. All the negative feelings he had growing inside him seemed to fizzle out and fade, relief replacing them instead. The Brit was speaking to him, he was alive and talking. In that moment, nothing else mattered but that. Gavin gave a casual shrug like the question wasn't a real one. He then wiggled closer to Ryan's body, nuzzling his face against the Vagabond's coat. "If you're cold you could have said something. . ." He mumbled, but was too entranced by the random action to really be annoyed. It was as if things were going right back to normal, like nothing had happened at all.

 

"I feel really cold." The brunette replied back. Ryan didn't waste any time in unzipping his coat and laying it over Gavin, holding him closer so he could try to share his body heat with him. "I'm sorry. . ." The Vagabond said once again. He had so much to be sorry for, and he didn't know where to start. He took a deep breath, but Gavin shut him up. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to feel sorry for." As he spoke he glanced softly into Ryan's eyes, and in the moment he could tell Gavin understood what he wanted to say, what he was feeling. There was a slight pause before Ryan shifted his mask so his mouth poked out. Gavin looked at him curiously, but he didn't have time to ask any question. Without thinking, without any care or worry, Ryan leaned down, capturing the Brit's lips with his and softly kissed him. It was deep, meaningful, and he poured everything he had been hiding into it.

 

And so the two stayed, locked in that position for what felt like an eternity. As Ryan held him closer, chest to chest, they could feel both their hearts beat in unison, both quick, but both very much content. Their doubts about each other's feelings were no more, their emotions realized, and their hearts connected. He didn't want to let him go, not ever. But he knew eventually they would need to breath. So reluctantly he pulled himself away from Gavin, once again holding eye contact with him. The brunette no longer looked confused, but satisfied and full of life. His whole body seemed to relax and the light in his eyes were shining brighter. Ryan knew there needed to be no other words spoken; they both knew how each other felt. He also couldn't help but feel he had been wrong for years. Killing people for fun, he thought that brought him happiness. But he realized that being there with Gavin, having him alive and in his arms and smiling at him, that was real happiness. Nothing else even compared to the feeling he had right then and there, with this little British idiot. _His_ little British idiot. He needed nothing else at that moment, just to be with him. However, something did stick out of his mind as odd. What happened to The Bison? He looked up over at the two bodies and realized he was either unconscious from his injuries, or he died. Either way, he didn't care. He didn't want anything coming between him and his moment with Gavin.

 

When he looked back down at the brunette, he saw that he was also staring in the same direction he was just looking towards. He had an expression on his face that Ryan couldn't quite piece together, but he seemed upset and worried. He must have been unhappy that Ryan had caused that scene. Rightfully so, too. . .any normal sane person would be disgusted at what Ryan had done to those two people. He didn't need any other reason to make his decision; he was going to go on a murder break, for Gavin's sake.

 

He needed to at least come up with some excuse so that Gavin didn't think he was just some lowly criminal, so he opened his mouth to speak, but the brunette swiftly cut him off again. "You don't need to explain. . .it was in self defense, right?" He smiled up at the taller man, but it was an uneven and unsure smile. ". . .Yeah." Ryan replied back quietly. "It's okay, Bondy. I believe in you." The brunette muttered as he closed his eyes, laying his head against Ryan's chest, gathering up as much warmth as he could.

 

". . .Ryan." He mumbled in return, causing Gavin to look back up at him with confusion. The Vagabond cleared his throat and looked away embarrassed. "My name's actually Ryan. . .It's not Vagabond. I'm sure you already knew that much." He had no issue with telling Gavin his real name, after all he knew he loved him, and Gavin loved him back. He wouldn't betray him, that much he was sure of. In response, the brunette nodded and smiled softly, closing his eyes and getting closer to Ryan's stomach. "Lovely name. It makes me happy that you finally told me. You must be serious about me then."

 

The Vagabond opened his mouth to reply, but saw the pained expression on Gavin's face and grew worried. "Are you okay?" He asked, knowing the answer already. Of course he's not okay, he was just stabbed in the chest and lost a ton of blood! They shouldn't be talking, they should be taking him to the hospital! "Hang in there, buddy. I'm going to drive you to the hospital." Ryan began to stand up, but was interrupted by Gavin quickly shouting out "No, I'll be fine. I just need to sleep it off." Ryan sighed deeply, kneeling back down to the ground and placing the brunette on the ground as gently as he could. "I don't doubt it. . .Stupid doesn't die that easily." Seeing how Gavin walked off that stab wound before, he was sure he'd be okay. But this was more serious than that time, so he didn't want to risk letting him go. He made a promise that he'd make him go get taken care of next time.

 

Shaking his head, Ryan looked down at him sternly. "But even so, this time you're going to go get proper medical attention. You might have stopped bleeding externally, but you might still be bleeding internally. Plus you might have something damaged. I just want to be sure." Even though he wanted nothing more than to make sure Gavin was safe, he still couldn't help but worry about being seen. If he were to walk into a hospital that was fully lit and had a lot of people there, he'd be in big trouble. It was very dangerous. Gavin must have seen the uncertainty, because he retaliated quite quickly. "It's fine. I know you don't wanna be seen in the light. I don't know why, but it's whatever. I can drive myself." Things were going no where fast, and the more they wasted time, the more worried he got that something bad was going to happen.

 

Ryan stood up once again, picking Gavin up in his arms. "I don't care. I'll think of something on the way there. Just shut up and stay still, you might end up bleeding out more." As he turned to walk towards the entrance, Gavin put his hand on The Vagabond's shoulder. "Wait!" He stopped abruptly and looked down at him. "What now?" The brunette looked towards the two bodies, laying limp and lifeless. "What are we going to do about them? Did you kill them both?" The taller male turned his attention to where Gavin was looking. "Um. The one in the mask I didn't finish off, you saw that. The girl. Yeah, she's way dead. That was my bad. We don't need to get into any details or anything, but. . ." He trailed off as he stepped closer to The Bison, leaning down while still trying to hold onto Gavin. It was a good thing he was so light. Once he was close enough, Gavin reached out to remove the bison mask. Ryan wanted to stop him, but deep inside he was also curious to know what he looked like, so he let it go and allowed for Gavin to remove it.

 

As the mask was removed, the Brit gasped in surprise, causing Ryan to cock an eyebrow in question. His unasked question was soon answered. "This. . .he's my boss! It's Geoff!" Gavin looked from the man's face up towards Ryan, confusion and worry etching his features that caused the other's heart to stall. "Are you serious?" It was a weird coincidence, and also didn't make any sense. Why would Gavin's boss be in his gang? It did answer why he was so fixated on the Brit, though. "Yeah! But he's not dead yet. We can't let him die. Then I won't have a job." He whined, much like a child, which Ryan didn't find attractive at all, but he let it slip. "Fine, then I'll take you both to the hospital." Gavin still wasn't relenting. He shook his head and huffed, pouting as he replied, "no. I said I can take myself. Don't worry about me." Seeing how he wasn't letting up, Ryan decided to take matters into his own hands. He stood straight, then began to walk back towards the entrance. "Where's your car?"

 

Gavin squirmed around as if he was trying to escape, somehow finding strength to do that much movement. "No. I'll do it." The taller man groaned and held onto him tighter. "Dammit, knock it off. I have a plan that will help us both." With that, the brunette stopped and looked up curiously. "Eh?" As he left the alley, he was quick to spot the ugly purple car that Gavin drove. He walked towards it as he explained. "Alright, I get that you don't want to make me do something you know I do not want to do. I can't tell you why yet, but it's true that it would be bad for me if I was seen by anyone. So. . .here's what we're going to do." He reached the car and opened the passenger door up, gently sitting Gavin down, being careful not to touch his wound as he settled him into the seat. Once he got him taken care of, he looked down at him and continued.

 

"I'm going to take you to the hospital, drop your car off and leave. You're going to take your boss and yourself to get checked on. You're going to tell them you were attacked by The Vagabond and you saved him and got away." Gavin looked at him confused and questioned him. "But why? Won't that get you in trouble?" Ryan looked off to the side before pulling himself away from the car. "Gav. . .you're going to have to trust me and not question anything for now. I will explain everything to you eventually. If you tell them you saved someone from being killed, then not only will your boss have no choice but to leave you alone and treat you better, otherwise his business will take a hit. . .but also, the mayor of this city cannot stand criminals. He rewards anyone who acts like a hero with a request. I'm sure you have seen it before. If word gets out that you risked your life to save someone, then he will surely owe you a favour."

 

Gavin cocked an eyebrow, looking very confused at the plan. He didn't listen to Ryan about not asking questions at all. "What could I possibly need from the mayor? I don't really need any favours." Ryan looked at him with cold eyes. There was a pause before he spoke again. "Your friend. .you said his name's Michael, right? He's buried in that cemetery that is reserved for criminals." He took a moment to gage Gavin's reaction, which was just an expression that seemed like curiosity mixed with surprise, before he went on. "Now I don't know anything about your friend's history, but. . .I can tell you're the type that doesn't take too kindly to criminals. You're too soft at heart. So it must upset you that someone you care about is lumped in with people like that. I don't doubt that if you were to ask for him to be moved into a normal cemetery, you could get it approved." Gavin appeared shocked at the gesture, then looked at him with worry as he questioned more, "yeah but. . .Ryan, you're not a criminal. If I tell them you attacked us then they're going to be out looking for you. And you're going to end up in jail." Ryan bit down on his lip hard. He wasn't sure how to even respond to that. Gavin was under the impression he only attacked Geoff out of self defense, but that wasn't the case at all. It especially wasn't the case with that innocent young girl. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally opened his mouth and said "It's the only way they would believe your story, okay? It won't fit right if you say you were attacked by someone fighting in self defense. There's too many plot holes and details that just can't be sorted out clearly. Don't worry about me, Gavin. . .I know what I'm doing. No one knows what I look like, so they wouldn't even know where to start looking." The brunette stared at him for a moment with uncertainty and seemed to want to ask more questions, but he didn't reply, just nodded quietly and looked down at his lap.

 

Gavin clearly had more questions to ask, and he was obviously confused on a lot of things, but nothing was ever asked, nothing else came from his mouth. Getting the hint that he no longer wanted to speak, Ryan shut the door and went back to where Gavin's boss was located. He took a few minutes to make sure nothing at the crime scene would lead to the police finding him. It was quick work, since he was used to things like that by now. He wouldn't say he was an expert, but he certainly was. Once he was finished, he took the bison mask and made sure to discard it in the dumpster, not really caring if it was found by the police later or not; after all, it would work better for him if they thought The Bison was the one who killed that girl instead of him. He then picked Geoff up, slinging him over his shoulder and carried him to the car. There wasn't a single movement from him the entire time, which Ryan was glad about. If Geoff woke up at any point before they arrived at the hospital, things would go pretty bad for them. Once he reached the door, he opened the door to the backseat and tossed him in carelessly. Gavin looked back at him, but only eyed him and didn't comment on it. Ryan chuckled to himself quietly before he got into the driver side. The key was already in the ignition, as usual, so he started it up before looking towards Gavin. "Are you going to be okay with walking to the entrance by yourself if I park as close as I can?"

 

The Brit waved off the question and smiled. "'Course, dude. Let's get this over with." Ryan nodded and closed his door, peeling out from the side of the sidewalk and into the quiet and lit streets of the city. It was a quick and quiet drive to the hospital; Gavin kept zoning in and out of consciousness the whole way there. Ryan did what he could to keep him awake so he didn't slip into a coma, but Gavin was fighting and being stubborn. It was like him being drunk all over again. Ryan turned the radio on at a fairly low volume, hoping it wouldn't wake Geoff up, and tried to get Gavin to sing along with the songs so he would stay awake. It was the only thing that worked for a few minutes, but after the Brit was bored of that, he tried going right back to sleep. He then tried to ask Gavin random questions, and quickly found out he was pretty good at knowing random science facts. An interesting thing to note. 

 

Within ten minutes, Ryan had the car parked in the parking lot of the hospital. Since it was late, there wasn't a lot of cars actually there, so he was able to find a pretty close spot. He stopped near the ER section, since that was the only part of the building that was open 24/7. Shutting the car off, he turned to Gavin. "Alright. The rest is up to you. Are you sure you're able to walk by yourself? Remember, you don't have to carry him with you, just tell the doctor that you left him in the car. They'll take care of the rest themselves." Gavin nodded a bit like he was listening, but the look on his face told The Vagabond otherwise. He couldn't help but feel like he should just say to hell with the risk of being caught and just take Gavin in himself, but if he did that, things could only end badly for both of them. So he let it be up to the Brit. Before they both got out of the car, Ryan took Gavin's phone and put his number in it. "Call me or text me any time you need me. And make sure you tell me how things are going and what's happening." The brunette smirked a bit, which caused Ryan to cock an eyebrow. "Okay, Daddy." He replied back, causing the taller man to go red in the face with embarrassment. "Just go, moron." He muttered as he opened up the car door, stepping out and disappearing into the darkness and bushes behind the building. Once he was gone and out of sight, he left the rest up to Gavin to be able to properly get treated. Boy was he nervous as hell with that thought in mind. He watched from the shadows, seeing Gavin staggering around and holding his side. He looked even more in pain than he had been earlier, and that made Ryan wonder if he had been faking being okay the whole time. "Dammit, idiot." He sighed deeply, but he knew he couldn't be too mad at Gavin, he was only doing it so he didn't worry. The brunette almost fell a couple times, but he was finally able to make it to the entrance of the door. Luckily for him, someone had been walking by the door and he was able to get their attention rather quickly. He didn't even have to open his mouth, the woman was already calling for others to come help as she opened the door and lead him in.

 

And then he lost sight of the Brit as he disappeared into the building. Ryan turned away and looked back towards where his back was facing, which was a walkway right next to a wooded area. Perfect. He could slip through there and find his way back home. Carefully and quietly, he stepped over the bushes and made his way onto the sidewalk, and through the trees. As he ventured through the woods, things finally started to set in. The adrenaline of the night was fading and he was able to lay out the events in his brain. A lot of it he blanked out on, like when he attacked that girl and half of his fight with The Bison. But he knew he'd have to go back and dispose of the body quickly, he couldn't leave it out in the open. This was going to be a fun night. Even though he was annoyed he caused so much extra work for himself, he was glad that he was at least able to see Gavin alive. He hadn't killed him like he feared. Then again, things could always take a turn for the worst in the hospital and he could still die. . .But Ryan tried not to think about that outcome. His British idiot was tougher than that. He wouldn't go down without a fight, for sure. The Vagabond smiled up into the night sky, gazing at the stars above. Things weren't one hundred percent okay, but he had never felt so at peace and so lucky to be where he was.

 

And he just couldn't wait until he got to see his blue clad British boy again.


	9. Chapter 9

Once Ryan was finished with disposing and hiding any evidence he could track down, which took longer than he had expected, he had headed home and got ready for bed. Sleep didn't come easy, though. He wouldn't admit to anyone that he had actually stayed up well past morning just waiting for a text message from Gavin, but it never came. After waiting for hours, he started to become worried that something went wrong, and that made falling asleep once he had decided it was time for bed even more difficult. But eventually he was able to settle into bed and drift off.

 

It wasn't until he heard his phone go off the next afternoon that he had woken up. He grabbed his phone, which he had abandoned next to him on the bed, and hit the button to check his messages, seeing a number he didn't recognize appear on the screen. He had a feeling it was Gavin from the start, and if the contents of the message didn't confirm it, the ending of it sure did, which read "This is Gavin." The whole message he read to himself out loud. "They had me knocked out for awhile. Just woke up. This is Gavin." Ryan chuckled quietly. "Who else would it be from, dumbass." He sat up straight before he replied to him with "well at least you're awake. How do you feel? Any update?" While he was waiting for a reply back, he decided to get himself up to start the day.

 

It wasn't until ten minutes had past that his phone went off and indicated a reply. He found it weird; what else could he have been doing at that moment that would take him that long to respond? He opened his texts again and read it. "My chest hurts still, but I don't feel as tired as I was yesterday. The doc gave me some pain meds but I think it's making me all wonky. Also they told me they want to keep me for a couple days to keep an eye on me, even though they said that there was no serious damage and the knife missed all my vital areas. I really just want to go home! I don't need to stay here. They also had the cops come and question me about what my attacker looked like. I didn't know what to say, didn't want to rat you out. So I said what you told me to say, that The Vagabond attacked me and that's all I really needed to say. I'm still scared that you're going to get in trouble, though. Are you sure this is really OK?"

 

Once Ryan was finished reading the long text, he understood why it took so long. He quickly responded back with "Good boy. Everything is going smoothly and it'll be fine, so don't worry. I'll come visit you during visiting hours so you won't be too bored. Try to stay out of trouble until then." He checked the clock on the dresser and saw it was around 2 pm. He figured he could get dressed and take a quick shower before going to visit Gavin, he had nothing else to do really. A rumble sound came from his gut, indicating that he indeed had something else he could do: eat. "But first, breakfast." He muttered to himself as he began to get ready for the day, all the while sending texts back and forth to Gavin and keeping him company.

 

After taking a shower and fixing something quick to eat, Ryan wasted no time in gathering up his things and heading straight to the hospital. He decided to go with taking his car for once, since it was daylight. He also didn't wear his mask and jacket, instead shoving them into a backpack that he threw into the backseat of his car. He knew it was extremely risky, but he would have to go into the building without his disguise and then put it on before going into Gavin's room. It was the only way he would be able to visit him and not get thrown into jail. However, if someone where to walk in on them while he's wearing his mask, he understood it would be the end for him. But, he figured he'd cross that bridge if it comes down to it. For now, he was just focused on getting to see his British boy.

 

The ride to the hospital seemed to go by quickly; Ryan had so many things on his mind at that moment. He was happy he was going to get to visit his. . .boyfriend(he was still pretty embarrassed when thinking about calling Gavin that), but he was also worried that something was going to go wrong, that he was going to be caught and end up putting Gavin in more danger. But he tried to shove all that into the back of his head as he approached the entrance to the building. His heart raced with nervousness, but he kept his cool, opening the door and walking casually up to the receptionist, when she asked him what he was there for, he took a little longer than normal to answer. "Um. I'm here to visit my. . .partner." She didn't seem too phased by the awkwardness of the statement, just simply nodded and asked for his name. Once he had given his name, she checked a clipboard and nodded to him. "Certainly. He's in room 23B on the second floor. Do you need me to show you where it is?" Ryan quickly shook his head. "No it's okay. I can find it. Thank you." He then made a mad dash towards the elevator. He was relieved that it was pretty easy to visit someone in the hospital, he's never done it before so he thought there would be a huge setup involved.

 

Luckily for him, there wasn't. He was able to quite quickly locate the room that she mentioned. Once he made sure no one was around to spot him, he made his way to the door, peaking in and noticing there was a convenient lip in the wall that was perfect for hiding. Quietly he opened the door and slipped behind the wall, removing his mask and jacket from his backpack and slipping it on. The noise seemed to disturb the Brit, though, because soon he called out to him. "Hello?" He heard from deep inside the room. Ryan had finished putting his disguise on, so he swiftly stepped out from behind the wall to greet Gavin. There was a split second where the brunette looked scared and surprised, but the expression was wiped off once he realized it was just him. "Hey Ryan! Thought ya'd stop by to see me eventually." Ryan couldn't control the eye roll that followed suit. "I texted you telling you I was coming." Gavin gave a cheeky grin in reply. Ignoring the annoyance, The Vagabond stepped in closer, grabbing a chair from the corner of the room and sliding it over to Gavin's bedside, taking a seat next to him. He looked back behind him for a brief moment, which the Brit didn't notice. He was concerned that a nurse may end up walking in and seeing him, and he prayed to the Gods that no one would come in. He let the thought slip from his mind, looking at Gavin and opening his mouth to begin the conversation.

 

"So you said the doctor's told you there's not much damage that was done?" He started, earning a nod from Gavin. "Yup! You missed my heart completely and all the main arteries surrounding anything vital." Ryan stared at him for a few moments before nodding his head. "Oh, well that's good then. Um. . .I'm sorry, by the way. I really wouldn't have stabbed you had I known it was you. You just. . .scared me." Deep down, he was actually wanting to ask Gavin "why won't you ask me why I did what I did?" He was really confused over the fact that the Brit hasn't questioned anything he has done. Why did he wear a mask? That was a big question he thought he would have heard a long time ago. Or even "can you remove your mask?" Of course he was relieved he hasn't heard those words, but that didn't stop him from wondering why Gavin didn't ask. He just seemed to go with the flow no matter what happened, and even though Ryan wasn't normal, he knew Gavin wasn't either. In fact, Gavin may very well be more insane than he is. He didn't even call the police, just followed Ryan's orders to keep quiet about it and did exactly what he told him. What was up with this guy? He was so deep in thought he barely heard what Gavin said next. "Don't worry about it too much. What's done is done, and it all ended alright. . .Well besides that poor bird that got caught up in the middle of it. So no need to flip, yeah?"

 

Ryan nodded, deciding it was best to just end the topic on a high note like Gavin was trying so hard to accomplish. "I'm glad you're alright. To be honest, I was a little bit frightened when I thought I killed you." The statement made Gavin grin widely, for whatever reason, he wasn't sure. But it was nice to see the brunette smiling, so that's all he cared about. He continued on quickly. "But don't worry about that girl. . .Um. When I went back, she was actually still breathing. So I took her home and left the parents a note explaining that she got caught up in fight. She was unconscious but I was able to patch her up good enough to give them time to get her to a hospital. I don't know anything else aside from that." Ryan wasn't sure why he lied to Gavin like that, but he thought perhaps it was the best thing to do. He couldn't let Gavin go on with the idea that he killed someone. It was selfish, but he did it for Gavin's sake. The brunette smiled in relief and nodded, not asking any questions and beveling every word of it, even though the story didn't add up at all. It must have somewhat, for Gavin to readily agree.

 

"Also, once you get released, I'll be sure to make it up to you." Ryan held his hand up, hesitating just for a moment because he thought it might be too much, but deciding it would be fine, he placed his hand over top Gavin's, gently squeezing it in reassurance. He tried saying "it's going to be alright" with that gesture, hoping the message relayed just a bit. It seemed to work, because the look in Gavin's eyes softened as he gazed up at him. There was a few seconds of blissful silence between them before the Brit spoke up. "Soooo does this mean we're dating now?" Ryan had to look away with an awkward sideways glare because the question caught him off guard. He knew the answer, I mean it was obvious, right? So why was it dependent on him to have to answer that? Instead of being smooth like he had wanted, he instead replied back with "I don't know, do you want to be?" Which obviously didn't amuse Gavin, because he cocked his head and gave him a dirty look. "Well kind of?"

 

The Vagabond really wanted to just slap himself. He wasn't good with relationships, like at all. Come on, Ryan, don't ruin things before they really got started! Just think. . .what would someone in those romantic movies do? Ryan took a second to compose himself before he quickly grabbed both of Gavin's hands, looking him straight in the face with fierce eyes. He didn't mean to, but his voice came out a little deeper and more dramatic than he wanted as he told him, "Gavin Free, I would be ever so honored if you would be my boyfriend." Nailed it.

 

Gavin's face twisted into a grin he was trying to hide before he began to laugh loudly. Never mind, didn't nail it. "You're a weirdo, Ryan," was his reply, which caused the older of the two to suddenly feel defensive. He was going to begin shouting to defend himself, when Gavin leaned in close, bumping his shoulder against the other's and saying "but of course I'll go out with you." All the annoyance he was feeling vanished and were replaced with a flutter in his stomach. It was official now, they were an item. Things couldn't have been going better for him. Not only that, but a good amount of time had passed and no one entered the room. He was beginning to think his luck was really turning around for him. He sighed happily and looked into green eyes, sharing a loving gaze before he opened his mouth to speak. "I gotta ask, though, why do you even like me? Like." He scratched the back of his head nervously, trying to find the right words to say. "I'm nothing special, you know. Just a weirdo." Gavin cocked his head curiously before he replied. "I told you before, you remind me of my old friend. He asked the same question, you know." He grinned and laughed. "I mean, you're pretty top. Like, you're well cool! I never met another bloke as tough as you are. It's pretty swell. You're a swell guy, and I like ya a lot."

 

Ryan didn't feel like he understood any more than he did before the question was answered, but he figured he would take what was given to him and not question it more. The brunette leaned in close and spoke up. "And what about you? You don't even seem like the type to go for dudes." The Vagabond looked at him surprised. He wasn't really the type to go for guys normally. Embarrassed, he replied with, "actually, you're the first guy I have ever liked romantically. I have never been with a guy nor have I really questioned my sexuality. I never really thought of myself as straight or gay or even bisexual, I just kind of. . .took it how it was? I don't really know how to explain it. I never saw myself being with a guy until I met you, and you ended up changing how I felt about being with one. You're just that special, I guess." He smirked. "Special in a lot of ways." Gavin chuckled, seeming to take that as more of a compliment than it was. "Cheers, mate." So what he wasn't the type to normally be with men, he was with someone he knew he loved, so that was good enough for him.

 

He looked back at the clock on the wall, noticing it had been nearly half an hour since he came into the room. The more time he spent there, the more likely someone would walk into the room. He didn't want to leave Gavin, that was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew the longer he stayed the higher the possibility that he would eventually be spotted. So he needed to make an excuse quickly. "I have to get going now, though. I need to deliver something to a customer of mine." Gavin nodded in understanding and smiled. "Okay! But don't forget, you promised to make it up to me once I get out. So you better be here to pick me up." It seems like Gavin was already a little too used to the idea of Ryan being his boyfriend. Not that he minded, though, he would do anything for Gavin, no matter what it was. So he nodded and agreed before he said goodbye to the Brit and took his leave of the room. Once he was hidden behind the wall again he removed his mask and jacket, stuffing them back into his backpack and exiting the room. The receptionist said goodbye to him as he was leaving and soon enough, he was back into his car and driving back home: already feeling emptier without Gavin by his side.

 

The next two days dragged on, but eventually Gavin texted Ryan to let him know he was releasing himself from the hospital, and as promised, Ryan came to pick him up. And just like he promised, he made sure to make it up to Gavin by taking him out to different places during the night once he had made a full recovery. He made it a point to take him out at least three times a week over the next couple months. Most places were closed that late, but a few places stayed open that he'd be able to go to. He took him to the beach a lot, even though it was off limits at night. He didn't care, following rules wasn't his thing. The more time they spent together, the more they got to know each other and the closer they got. He did his best to tell Gavin about his personal life without letting anything about his gang slip, and it turned out to be kind of hard. But he managed it. He thought, maybe there was a way this could work out after all. He was feeling confident.

 

Another night crept by and another opportunity to spend time with his boyfriend presented itself, so he took it. He texted Gavin and told him to meet him at the beach, telling him the time and then going to get himself ready for the night. He stepped into the bathroom, looking himself over in the mirror and fixing his hair up, for whatever reason; he knew Gavin wasn't going to see it anyway. He did notice in his inspection that his face was changing a bit; he didn't look as tired and worn out as he usually does, he would even go as far as to say his skin was looking healthier too. Was this what love did to people? If so, he wasn't complaining. After scrubbing his face real quick, brushing his hair and teeth and all that fun stuff, he slipped his mask on and grabbed his jacket. The weather was starting to warm up just a little bit, but the nights were still pretty frigid, so he opted to wear a long sleeve shirt underneath his jacket, which was rare for him. It was always a t-shirt and his signature jacket. He couldn't lie, though, the main reason he chose to go with something warmer was because he was preparing for Gavin to forget a jacket and complain about being frozen, so he had to be ready to hand his jacket over and still be able to keep himself warm as well. Just one of the sweet annoyances that came with being with an airhead like him. And he loved everything about it.

 

Once he was finished, he shoved a few items into his pocket and walked out the door. He told Gavin to meet him in half an hour, but he knew it would take him at least twenty minutes to walk to the beach, so he decided to get a head start so he wouldn't be late. It was kind of a pride thing to be the first one to arrive at their meet up point; made him feel more like the alpha type. So he went on his way, a slight pep in his step as the excitement of getting to sit down and talk more with Gavin settled in. It was always entertaining to listen to him talk, especially because he had a habit of asking dumb rhetorical questions that Ryan loved to twist around and in the end cause the Brit to regret even asking. It was rather fun. There were many other things he loved about Gavin, though. He wouldn't have guessed in a thousand years that he was actually somewhat of a genius when it came to science. Ryan himself loved intellectual things and found it interesting to hear someone talk about their point of view on anything scientific. He also thought it was pretty funny, he was good at computers, and Gavin knew his way around a camera. They would make an interesting pair for sure.

 

As he made it to the beach entrance, he was feeling even more hyped. It was kind of disgusting, and Ryan hated himself just a bit for acting like a teenager in high school who's swooning over their crush, but it wasn't as if he could control himself and how he felt. So, he decided to just go with the flow and stop trying to decode everything about his life and his emotions. Sometimes it was just best to let things happen, right? During his inner conversation with himself, the Brit rolled up in his car and parked it behind a tree, as if it wasn't noticeable still. Ryan shook his head at the idiotic display, but let it go. Gavin stepped out of the car and waved to him. "'Ello Ryan!" He called out to him as cheerful as ever while he made his way over to him. Ryan waved back awkwardly and waited until he caught up with him before he turned on his heels and began to walk down the pathway to the beach, a few steps later their feet touched sand. The two walked close to the waters, but were careful not to get too close that it would splash up onto them. They walked side by side in silence for a few minutes until Ryan made a move and slipped his hand between Gavin's, intertwining their fingers and locking them into a tight embrace. Gavin looked up at him with a cheeky smile. "Awe, what's wrong? Feeling cold?"

 

Ryan scoffed and looked away embarrassed. "No. This is what couples do, right? They hold hands and stuff. I thought I'd be nice and romantic, don't ruin it." Gavin merely laughed in response and squeezed the taller male's hand. "I like it." Ryan smiled back, even though the other couldn't see it. He looked ahead of him and shrugged. "Yeah. Me too." They continued to walk for a few seconds, Ryan deciding to change the topic. "So, you never talk about your family life. I was wondering why. You obviously weren't born here, and I didn't see any family members of yours around here. Are you by yourself in this country?" Gavin looked up at Ryan with a confused but amused look, as if he was shocked he would ask him a question like that. He answered back anyway. "Yeah, I was born in England in a small lil city with my mum and dad. I have a younger brother too. But I moved here to find better job opportunities. But then got stuck working at a dump like that office I work in. It's alright, though. Even though I live by myself, it's not so bad! What about you? You never talk about your folks either." Ryan took a moment to really think about the question before he answered. "I left them after I turned twenty one." He shrugged casually. There wasn't much to his life regarding his parents, and he didn't care to talk about it much either. Gavin replied with an "oh" before he turned his attention back in front of him. "That's a bummer. Don't you miss them?" Ryan really wasn't in the mood to talk about his parents, so he shrugged again, hoping Gavin would get the hint, which he did, and instead focused his gaze on the waters next to them.

 

He stared out into the vast ocean before quickly looking back at The Vagabond. "Hey, I'll jump into the water for ten bucks." He grinned. Ryan cocked an eyebrow and stopped walking, staring down at the Brit. "Are you kidding me? You're not going in that water. It's probably below freezing temperatures." Gavin scoffed and waved him off. "You're overreacting. It looks fine! Geronimo!" Ryan couldn't even react in time to be able to stop Gavin from taking off full sprint into the water, splashing about as he did so and ran a good couple yards in until the water was about waist high. He stopped suddenly and turned around. "It's freezing, Ryan!" The Vagabond wanted to slap himself so hard, but instead sighed and shook his head. "No shit, idiot! I told you it was. Now get out of there!" He watched the Brit shiver and hug himself as he stood in the water, teeth chattering, but he wasn't making an attempt to move. "Um. Ryan." He said, his voice sounding a little frightened. "I think I cut my foot on himself. It really hurts! I don't think I can move it!" He whined. Ryan's heart sank in worry. "Are you serious? Are you okay?" He looked down at the sand, noticing Gavin's shoes abandoned. When did he even have time to take them off? He didn't notice them. "Please come get me I can't move my foot." He could practically hear the tears in his voice. Without another second to hesitate, Ryan threw his coat off and slipped out of his shoes before he was running in to yet again save Gavin from something. "Hang in there, Gav, I've got y--!!" His sentence was cut short as he neared Gavin, and then suddenly found himself falling backwards from something crashing into him.

 

"Gotcha!" The Brit shouted loudly as he tackled Ryan and knocked him over ass first into the water. He was lucky that the water wasn't that deep, or he would have swallowed a bunch of it. Instead he sat there, submerged neck deep in the freezing cold slimy liquid. How nice. Gavin laughed and stood up off him, attempting to make a run for the shore but Ryan was quick to grab him by the foot and tripping him, letting him go so he wouldn't drown himself. Gavin was also now submerged too. "Brrrr!" He complained once he compiled himself and rose to the surface. "That's what you get, dick." Ryan grumbled as he stood to his feet and began to walk back onto land. Gavin, pouting, followed him. "Sorry, Ry.~" He chimed happily as he rubbed his arms to try to get warm. "I have a feeling you're not sorry." He replied back as he picked up his jacket and flung it around Gavin's shoulders. He knew he would have to hand it over eventually that night, he just didn't think it would be because of that reason. The Brit happily took the offer and wrapped himself in the jacket that was nearly two sizes too big for him. Ryan couldn't stay mad at him after seeing such a cute display. He wrapped his arms around Gavin and dragged him to the ground, holding him tightly between his legs and laying his chin on top of his sopping wet hair. "But I forgive you anyway." He heard Gavin laugh underneath him and it made his whole body feel warmer, his heart flutter and his nerves calm down. "Now don't do anything stupid like that again, okay? There was really no reason for you to do that at all."

 

Gavin cocked his head up so that they were looking at each other. "But I miss swimming, that's all! Michael and I used to swim all the time here and I just kinda miss it, you know?" Ryan began to feel bad; he didn't mean to make him bring up his dead friend. But he wasn't going to let it go so easily. "Sorry, Gavin." He shifted his mask out of the way of his mouth so that he could press a chaste kiss against the other's lips. "But I promise, once it gets warmer, we'll go swim together, okay?" He smiled down at him lovingly, which he was rewarded with by an equally soft expression from the other. "I'll hold you to that." Gavin's voice lowered a touch as he moved his body closer to Ryan's, any gaps between them disappearing. The Vagabond took that as a hint that Gavin wanted to continue, so he joyfully obliged his request by sealing his lips against the other's again and wrapping his arms around his waist. Their eyes closed as they shared a deep and loving kiss; Ryan slowly lowered Gavin onto the ground until his back touched the soft sand. From there, it got a little more intense when the brunette parted his lips enough for him to slip his tongue out and run it along The Vagabond's lower lip. Getting the hint, Ryan also opened up his mouth and met his needs with a little tongue action of his own. They stayed locked in that position for a whole minute before Gavin started to get a little antsy and began to move his hips up against Ryan's, which caused the other to feel a bit of heat downstairs. He didn't want to stop, though; he was enjoying it too much. The more it continued, though, the more heavy things became. Gavin casually bit down on Ryan's lip, and that was when he couldn't control it anymore. He reeled back from the brunette and looked down into his eyes before saying in a calm and authoritative voice, "I want to make love to you, for real this time."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, mates. I'm really bad when it comes to smut chapters! I hope this isn't too disappointing. I'll make it up somehow!

For a good long half minute, Gavin stared up at Ryan with astonishment and confusion; he wasn't expecting such words to come out of his mouth. He actually wanted to have sex with him? Well forget the idea that he only bedded him out of pity, like he had thought previously. He was actually rather flattered by that thought, that someone so cool would ask permission to make love to _him_ of all people! It was enough to make him melt on the spot. He had no reason to prolong the awkward silence, and he nodded in response. "Of course. I would love to." He spoke quietly, but once he agreed he saw a small smile appear on Ryan's face and his eyes lit up. Gavin would never forget those eyes for as long as he lived. He never got to see much of The Vagabond's face, but his eyes told him everything he needed to know; everything the other was feeling. They were quite beautiful to Gavin, such a light shade of blue. He would always remember staring into them as he lay in Ryan's arms, the blue was brought out even more and shone like jade when they were wet with the tears Ryan had shed: for him. He couldn't help but feel such love and warmth just from one simple display of affection.

 

"Should we go back to my apartment and do this?" He questioned, but it only earned a groan from Ryan. "I don't think I can wait that long. Let's go find somewhere on the beach." He was flattered that Ryan wanted him so badly, but he also didn't find the idea of having sex on a beach very comfortable. Then again, they did name an alcoholic drink after sex on the beach, so it couldn't be that bad. That was his logic, anyway. Gavin nodded slightly, and that was apparently enough for The Vagabond to spring into action. He picked the smaller man up, catching him off guard and causing him to wrap his arms around the other's neck, earning an amused chuckle. "You can't just stand up suddenly like that." He pouted, but seemed to be ignored as Ryan made his way down the sandy shore, searching for something, he wasn't sure what though. He didn't care what he was looking for, either, for he was too distracted by staring into The Vagabond's eyes. It was so calming and relaxing. He was in a dream-like state.

 

Before he realized it, they were in front of a small shack. Gavin didn't notice it before, but figured he just wasn't paying attention to his surroundings like usual. Either way, Ryan was determined to get inside it. He gently sat the Brit down before walking over to one of the small windows that faced the front. "Here we go. This will work." He commented as he pried the window open and quickly slipped inside, much like a ninja. Gavin was very impressed with the skillfulness. Once The Vagabond was inside, he gestured for the brunette to follow, which he did cautiously. He understood full well if they were caught they would be in trouble, but he wasn't worried about that just yet, he only focused on their current goal. It felt exciting, doing something illegal for once. So without a complaint, he slipped through the window; the taller male graciously waiting for him and helping him through as he landed his feet onto the wooden floor. Everything in that small room seemed to be wooden. There wasn't much light shining through, but from the image Gavin could see, there wasn't much in there either. It looked kind of like a dressing room. There was a bench, a small table, one window, and some random piles of some kind of fabric. Who knows what it was even used for? He never really stopped to see what was inside every time he would stop by the beach. He was so lost in thought that he was suddenly caught off guard by The Vagabond grabbing him by the waist and lowering him down to the floor gently. "Sorry it's a little cramped, and probably not as romantic. But we can make it work." Ryan commented before looking up and gazing around. Once his eyes landed on the abandoned pile of cloth, he quickly gathered them up, Gavin noticing they were towels. "These should work." Gavin made a disgruntled face at them, however. "Gross. I don't want to use a towel someone else used. Don't even know where it's been."

 

Ryan sighed loudly and scratched his mask. "C'mon man. I'm just asking you to lay on it so it will be a little more comfortable for you." The brunette really found reusing someone else's towels gross, but Ryan did have a point: at least it would be more comfortable. He pouted, but decided to agree with him, moving out of the way so he could lay it down flat on the floor. Once he was finished spreading them out and folding one up like a pillow, Gavin laid back down. He didn't argue over who would take the lead, he already knew how it would end up anyway. He learned from being in a relationship with Michael that there was no way in hell Gavin could dominant anyone, so he got used to it. He was fine with it, really. He was pretty drunk when they first had sex, so he couldn't remember a lot about it, but he was certain he enjoyed it nonetheless, especially since he knew he had finished. So he wasn't too worried about letting Ryan do whatever he wanted. Once he was in position, he stared up at Ryan and waited to see what he was going to do. Looking up at a masked man while laying down in a dark room seemed pretty terrifying, but it was almost enough to make Gavin chuckle at how absurd the situation was. It was bizarre. But then again, he never did lead a normal life. The taller male's voice broke him out of his daze. "Don't worry, I'll try to be gentle." Him saying that, alone, made Gavin feel a lot more calm and prepared him for what he knew would soon come. He nodded his head in conformation. "'S'okay. I'll be alright." He replied back quietly as Ryan knelt down and dropped to his knees in front of the brunette. He crawled up to him like a feline, whether he meant to or not. It was erotic either way. He settled himself right in between Gavin's legs as one hand held himself up and the other pushed its way up the Brit's shirt. "Do you, um. . .like this?" Ryan asked awkwardly as he thumbed Gavin's nipple.

 

He didn't remember The Vagabond acting like this much of a virgin when they first had sex, but then again maybe he was just so drunk that he just liked everything he did. He gave a shrug and muttered. "It's alright." Gavin always thought it was odd the way people touched each other's nipples and licked them in porn videos. He was never really into it. It didn't feel that good to him, just felt weird. Ryan looked a little disappointed as he removed his hand, abandoning that plan apparently and going for something else. He still had his mask moved away from his face, so he took advantage of that by latching his teeth against the Brit's neck, chomping down on the sensitive area of his collar bone and lapping up the bite mark gently. That got more of a reaction from Gavin, as he tilted his head to the side a bit to give the other some more room. He gave him a quiet hum of approval to let him know to continue, which he did. Ryan suckled and nipped at one spot for awhile, making Gavin question if it would leave a hickey. It most certainly would. The feeling of Ryan's teeth scraping against this skin sent chills up and down his spine, it felt amazing. He wasn't into the idea at first, but now he was starting to get into it. The Vagabond must have picked up on that, too, since he was beginning to get a little more into it as well, physically seeming to relax. Gavin felt the other's mouth move from his collar bone up to his ear. For a moment, the Brit wasn't sure if he was going to enjoy having his ear touched, but once Ryan had clamped onto the lobe and slowly began to glide his tongue along the edge of his ear, Gavin felt a jolt right to his groin. He did indeed like it. Wow, he was finding out so many new kinks.

 

As Ryan continued to mess with his ear, his hand traveled downwards until they landed on the fabric of Gavin's trousers. He found his way to the button of his jeans and expertly undid them with one hand, giving him enough room to slip down into them. He began to fondle with the bulge that formed behind his boxers, which did little to hide how excited he was getting. His hand smoothed over the fabric and his fingers began to massage the organ he felt straining against them. Slowly but surely he began to get even harder from the action. He kept his voice low as he gave a satisfied groan; being unable to stop himself from rubbing himself against the other's hand. Apparently Ryan found it amusing. "Eager, are we?" He teased, causing the brunette to turn red with embarrassment. Of course he was eager, who wouldn't be? But of course he couldn't voice that to Ryan, or else he'd be even more embarrassed. So he simply looked away with a pout. "Awe, don't be like that. I was only messing with you. Here, if you'd like, I can speed things up a bit." Gavin was about to question what he meant when he felt his pants being yanked down to his knees, his under garments going along with them. For whatever reason, he suddenly felt shy, so he instinctively pressed his legs together. "Gavin, I've already seen you naked. No need to be timid around me." That's right, they had already had sex before, but the Brit was drunk and barely remembered it. He had to keep telling himself that it was fine and there was no reason to be scared of showing Ryan his vulnerable side, but there was always something about sleeping with men that caused him to be wary.

 

No, it was more than that. He had only ever slept with one man, Michael, who quickly put him in his place from the start. Michael was the type of lover that wanted everything done his way, and at first Gavin hated making love to him, not only because Michael would never let him be the one in control, but because Michael had a very aggressive way of showing his love, and Gavin didn't enjoy it in the least. Part of him was afraid that Ryan would turn out that way, too. After all, he was very much like his ex in a lot of ways. He was hoping it wasn't the case, however. Either way, it was too late to back out now; he had already agreed to have sex with Ryan again. As usual, he was going to do what he was used to: letting his partner have his way with him and do whatever they wanted. So without another word, he spread his legs for the other man, allowing him to continue with what he was originally planning. Ryan had no objections to the display, and quickly got back to work. Gavin prepared himself for what was going to come next, looking away and closing his eyes tightly. This was the part he hated the most, because it always hurt the most when they first start. But he wouldn't complain. Complaining always got him yelled at.

 

He waited for the familiar pain, but instead he felt something wet touch the tip of his member. Confusion hit him as he looked down at the masked man, seeing him face deep into his crotch. What was he doing? Ryan cocked his head up slightly, allowing the brunette to watch as his tongue circled around the tip slowly. "Sorry. I've never done this before. So I doubt I'm very good at it." He gave a snarky smirk before going back to covering his member with his mouth. It felt good, but at the same time he was surprised. "Why are you sucking my nob?" The question made Ryan stop and look at him again. Gavin couldn't tell, but he knew he was giving him a weird expression. "Because you're limp and I want you to feel just as good as I do." The answer came as a shock to Gavin, not only because he wasn't used to his lover actually caring if he felt good or not, but also because the way he said it, it was almost as if Ryan was reading his mind: like he could tell Gavin was worried about something unspoken. He was so taken back, that he couldn't find anything to reply with. So he simply stared at the other. "You're making this awkward, you know." The Vagabond commented, still smirking as he leaned forwards, suddenly capturing their lips together. Never once has the Brit experienced a kiss during sex. That was also new to him. Perhaps Ryan wasn't as much like Michael as Gavin had thought. A pang of guilt struck his chest. How could he think someone as caring as him was like his abusive ex? He should have seen it the whole time: they weren't alike at all. Michael never really cared if Gavin was healthy or not, he never even visited him in the hospital when he was hurt during a particularly violent mugging. But Ryan not only took him to the hospital, but also visited and picked him up! He goes out of his way every night to make sure he's safe from harm. He's nothing like Michael.

 

The Brit fought back the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes as he quickly wrapped his arms around Ryan, holding him close to his body and kissing him back with such force that he accidentally clanked their teeth together. But neither of them cared. He could feel the other melting into his touch, so he knew he must have been doing something right. "That's more like it." Ryan snickered as he took a hold of Gavin's length, rubbing it against his own in a slow motion. He didn't even notice himself getting hard until that point. While Ryan jerked them both off, he slipped his tongue past the Brit's lips and into his mouth, swirling it around and playing with the other's. Gavin joined in on the fun and mimicked the action, playing tug-of-war with the slippery organ. He could feel the other's length getting harder against him, and he suddenly felt inadequate. The Vagabond was quite talented. . .in many ways. Thinking about it alone was making him excited. He could feel some wetness against his thigh, and soon enough Ryan took his hand away from his hard-on and instead opted to nudge one finger against his entrance. Judging by the way it slipped in easily, he figured Ryan must have slicked his fingers up using his pre-cum. Not a bad idea, since even though it was a little sticky, it still gave some lubrication. Ryan was so smart, it made Gavin beam with happiness. "I'm going to make sure you're stretched enough, so just relax and don't tense up or it might hurt." The Vagabond whispered to him gently, which made Gavin's face turn a bright red. That was also something he wasn't used to, his lover caring if he was properly ready or not. He was well confused, but also very grateful. Perhaps this time would be different than what he's used to. He gave a quick nod in response and allowed for Ryan to continue.

 

And he did so, moving his finger in and out with a gentle and slow pace. The feeling of just one finger was enough to make Gavin excited. He felt Ryan graze the sensitive walls of his entrance and it made him squirm with anticipation of something bigger entering him. But he knew he had to be patient, less he looked like a slut. He didn't have to wait long until another finger slipped past the tight ring and joined the first one. He could feel the other pulling at the skin gradually in order to stretch it. It hurt a little, but he didn't mind it too bad, he knew it was to make sure it didn't hurt as much later on. Once Ryan continued to ease his fingers in and out of him, Gavin lost himself to the feeling; really getting into it and wanting more. He heard the other speak and it drew him out of his trance. "I've never done this before. Is this alright? Or should I slow down a little?" The brunette snickered mockingly and shrugged. "I have no complaints, I guess. You are actually going too slow. It's making me sleepy." Ryan narrowed his eyes at the comment, glaring down at him. "Well then fine, if I'm not doing it right, you do it." He then removed his digits from the Brit's entrance, making Gavin look at him with curiosity. He didn't expect him to do that, and of all things, ask him to prepare himself. That was just absurd! But it seemed like The Vagabond was serious and wasn't going to let him get out of doing it.

 

After a few awkward silent moments, Gavin sighed and laid down on his back, arching his hips up just a bit so he could more easily reach his backside, and then proceeded to slip two fingers inside so he could start where Ryan left off. He laid out so Ryan would be able to get a good view of him fingering himself, even though he felt his face flush with embarrassment from the thought of him watching. He covered his mouth with his free hand and closed his eyes tightly as his finger tips grazed along his walls. His fingers weren't long enough to reach that sweet spot from the angle he was laying, but it was enough to cause him to make strained moans. Every time he would masturbate, it made him feel dirty. But now, he felt excited. Maybe because he knew this time there was more to look forward to? He wasn't sure, but all he could think about was getting to be close to Ryan again, and this time be able to remember it. He wanted to know every inch of his lover, inside and out. He wanted nothing more than to know what it was like to feel their bodies entangled in each other. To be close enough to feel the sweat dripping off him. Those strong arms holding him lovingly as they become one. "Ryan. . ." He groaned out, unable to control his voice any longer. Gavin could only imagine how shameful his face looked at that moment; his cheeks were so hot from blushing that he thought he might burn himself. As he cracked an eye open to gaze up at Ryan, he got a slight glimpse of passionate and lustful blue eyes before he was suddenly ambushed by The Vagabond; his hand cupped the back of the brunette's head and brought his face close, smashing their lips together and colliding his hips against the other's. "Shit, Gavin. I can't take it anymore." Those words came out with a deep and primal growl, the Brit could have sworn he almost finished just from the sound of it. He understood what he meant, so he removed his fingers from his entrance and tightly wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck. Once they had parted from the kiss, he tilted his head slightly, just enough so that his lips were mere centimeters away from Ryan's ear and he whispered "take me, I want you."

 

After the words left his mouth, the Brit regretting saying something so shameful, but without second to waste on being self-conscious, Ryan pressed himself up against Gavin; the head of his member prodding teasingly against him before he slowly began to insert, causing the brunette to tense up in instinct. The Vagabond stopped his movement and groaned. "Gavin, you're going to have to relax a little or it will hurt more." The Brit, despite wanting to protest, did as he was told and relaxed his body, allowing the other man to slip in easier. His chilled body was beginning to warm up the more the two exerted energy, and his body was beginning to get moist with sweat. But even so, The Vagabond didn't seem to care about that, he was still interested in exploring every inch of him. His hand traveled down his thigh, softly palming the skin and arching his leg up so he could get a better angle as he pushed in more. Gavin wasn't sure how much more of him he had left to insert, but once Ryan mumbled "I'm in." That answered his question. He could feel himself being filled with him; leaving no gaps. It was a comforting feeling to be so close to him, yet it hurt a lot the way his girth stretched him. He didn't care, though, just as long as they were together. He couldn't control the grunt that escaped his mouth when Ryan began to back out, easing himself half way out before gradually squeezing back in. Each centimeter he moved, Gavin was able to feel, and it burned pretty bad; a tight pain emanating from his backside. Not only that, but his back ached from the hard floor. All around, he was uncomfortable and in pain. Even so, he still didn't care. He couldn't have been happier at that moment.

 

Ryan looked down, his eyes catching Gavin's and his face softened into a concerned glance. "Are you okay?" The question was unexpected, but the brunette nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah. Been through worse." After he received confirmation, Ryan nodded and proceeded to leisurely thrust himself inside and out the brunette. Gavin could tell from the movements that he was mostly using his whole body instead of just his hips, and eventually it started to hurt even worse. Gavin groaned in pain and irritation from the feeling, causing Ryan to stop. "What? Not good?" The sound of his voice made Gavin feel bad, but he was right: it wasn't good. "Dog awful." He admitted, making The Vagabond scoff. "You didn't complain before." To which Gavin replied with a cheeky smirk and said "I was off my tits. A squirrel could have got me off." He could barely see it, but Ryan was definitely blushing a deep red. "F-fine! Then how should I do it? Mr. Expert. . ." The Brit giggled at the embarrassed man and wrapped his arms tighter around his shoulders, pulling him closer to his body. "Just use your hips a little more. And maybe t--" before he could finish his sentence, Ryan suddenly lurched forward, angling up and rammed straight into his prostate, causing his sentence to turn into a whoreish scream. "Better?" Ryan asked with a slight hint of cockiness. Gavin could do nothing but stare at him with a flushed face as they continued their love making. All the pain, pleasure, and intimacy was shared between them, and the long months leading up to that moment seemed to be nothing but a distant dream; all that mattered was the burning passion of their love for each other. Both understood that it wasn't just affection, wasn't just lust, or endearment; it was real love that bonded them together and held them close like a vice. And it wasn't until then that Gavin realized just how much he had been missing in life, how much suffering he had been holding back, how much loneliness he was feeling before. All of those feelings came crashing down on him like a tsunami of emotions, and he couldn't hold it back any longer. He did something he never did before: he cried out of shear sentiment.

 

Gavin didn't notice he was shedding tears until Ryan wiped them away, placing a chaste kiss against his wet cheek. He held him with those strong arms of his not questioning why, not mocking him for it. All the doubt he felt about life washed away before his very eyes. The Brit buried his face deep against The Vagabond's shirt covered chest and held onto him as tightly as he could, as if he could slip away at any second if he let go. He felt silly, like a child, but he couldn't care less, not when he felt so safe and secure with the man he loved. He felt he could show him a side to himself he's never shown anyone else, and there would be no regrets. He was so focused and enamored of The Vagabond that he barely noticed his body going numb for a split second and his stomach tightening up. He let out a strained moan, feeling something ooze down his thigh. He had finished without realizing it. A few quiet seconds past and Ryan slowed down his thrusting and stared down at Gavin. "Sorry." The brunette apologized shyly, avoiding his gaze. But Ryan simply chuckled and replied, "it's okay. . I came too. Your face was too erotic and I couldn't hold back." Part of Gavin was disappointed that it was over, and that he barely got to enjoy any of it because he was so lost in a trance; but he was also happy that it happened, and he knew there would be more opportunities to make love, now that they were together. He could feel Ryan pulling out of him, and more fluids gushed out, causing him to squirm uncomfortably. "Ew." He muttered, but then felt slightly bad after it was already said. "Sorry, Gav. I tried pulling out but it was too late." The Vagabond chuckled awkwardly and grabbed a spare towel that was thrown and balled up in a corner. "Uh, okay, hold still and I'll get you cleaned up so we can head home, alright?" It wasn't a pretty sight, and it was rather disgusting, two men sweaty and covered in semen in a dirty little wooden ocean shack, using used towels to clean themselves up with. It was sickening, and yet, Gavin wouldn't have changed anything about the moment they shared together. Revolting, but romantic, that's a good way to sum their relationship up, he figured.

 

Once they were relatively spotless, they dressed and quietly made their way out of the shack, and out of the beach area, and into Gavin's car. Ryan gave a slight amused grin when he saw how difficult it was for Gavin to properly sit down in the driver's seat. "Oh don't worry, it'll be worse in the morning." The brunette in return gave him a glare that was more like a pout. The amused grin fell into an apologetic frown. "Too soon?" The Brit shook his head and sighed, letting the comment go and starting the car up, attempting to drive in his uncomfortable state. The other man seemed to want to try to make up for his inappropriate joke as he offered, "I could have drove, you know. You didn't have to suffer." A little late now, don't you think? He was already half way home. But while glancing over at Ryan, the brunette did feel bad that he was so regretful. Might as well not make him upset, right? "I ain't mad." He had claimed, but the tone of his voice didn't match his words. Damn, what an awkward situation he got himself into. "Not mad, just sore. Next time bring lube, you trollop." Probably wasn't the most accurate insult, but that's what came to Gavin's mind, so he said it. He knew Ryan wouldn't understand what it meant, anyway. He felt the other leaning in against him, and his warm lips pressing against his temple. "Deal. Sorry." The distraction was almost enough for him to swerve over, but luckily he was able to keep his composure. One thing he knew for sure, he couldn't stay mad at Ryan for long when he acted that way. That would surely make thing hard for the Brit in the future.

 

On the drive home, Gavin talked Ryan's ear off with random stories and news he heard, all the while the other laid his head against the brunette's shoulder, gently caressing his hand and dozing off. Gavin could tell his boyfriend was getting sleepy, because whenever he would ask something, he would reply with either a head nod or a half-assed "mhm". Not that Gavin minded, really; Ryan being too tired to walk home only meant that he would have to force him to stay over and sleep at his house. Which meant he would get to spend more time with him. It was a win-win for him. It didn't take much longer for Gavin to finally stop in front of his apartment. "I hope you're awake, because if not, I don't think I can carry you inside." After he said that, The Vagabond shifted and chuckled. "I'm awake. I wouldn't want you to try, anyway, you'd hurt yourself." The comment caused Gavin to pout, but agreed nonetheless. Both boys got out of the car and headed inside the apartment as quietly as they could, as to not disturb any other of the residence at such an hour. Once they were both inside, the brunette shut the door and was quick to throw his shirt off, causing The Vagabond to give him a confused sideways glance. "I need a shower. I feel gross with these clothes on right now. I think I brought something from the ocean home with me!" He complained as he shook his jeans off and let them drop to the floor. Ryan didn't answer, but simply stared at him as he ran to the bathroom. Once he was out of eyesight of the other, he let the widest grin slip across his face. He was definitely not letting Ryan go home tonight.

 

Green eyes caught the reflection in the bathroom mirror, and Gavin noticed that his face was still red. He started to wonder just how much The Vagabond was starting to affect him. It was foreign and strange for him to act like he did when he was around Ryan, but he couldn't really say he was surprised that the actions came naturally. There was just something about the masked man that caused that trigger in him. But even so. . ."I wish he would remove that mask." The Brit muttered to himself as he stared into the mirror, stripping out of the rest of his clothes. He let out a sigh; he was disappointed, sure, but he could move on from that, right? He didn't need to see Ryan's face, after all, there had to be a reason he wasn't letting him see it. But what reason could there be? Maybe he's just hiding his face because he's not attractive? But, Gavin didn't care about that! Right? Of course not, I mean how bad could his face be if his body was that good looking? Even if his face wasn't completely attractive, he could move past that. Just being able to see what he looked like even once would just be enough. If he was able to fall in love with a faceless man, then surely despite what he really looked like, he would still love him. Of course! Perhaps it was time to ask him about it? But if he did, and Ryan got angry about it. . .it would ruin things, wouldn't it?

 

Gavin twisted the hot water on while he debated with himself. It was a tough decision, and one he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to make. He wanted to ask, but there was a risk that it would upset Ryan. Maybe he would think he didn't trust him if he asked? The answer was unsure, and it was terrifying. Gavin always hated the unknown, that's why he always sought to find an explanation of everything in a scientific way. Sadly, human emotions and reactions can't be explained with science. Perhaps going with his gut would work. It always has, right? Dammit. . .He wasn't used to so much thinking! Maybe a nice hot shower was just what he needed to calm himself down; it was a long night, after all. As he stepped into the shower, the warmth washed over him and loosened his muscles and heated him nicely. Yeah, this was just what he needed. He was feeling better already. He reached for the body wash when something suddenly hit him: he forgot to get some clean clothes. Groaning quietly, he leaned his head away from the water and called out for Ryan. "Oi, do us a solid and grab me some clothes? Just toss 'em in." Then he waited for a response, which came slower than he had expected it to, which made him think maybe the other didn't hear him. He then heard The Vagabond reply back, "Yeah, sure. Just want some night clothes or something? Well. . stupid question, it is night. Hold on a second. It's in this closet, right?" Gavin wanted to laugh at how nervous Ryan sounded, like this was his first night sleeping over at a girl he liked's house or something. It was cute. "Yeah, closet. Find whatever looks comfortable." After that exchange, he went back to scrubbing himself down. He still felt gross from that ocean water.

 

It took little under a minute for him to hear Ryan's voice again through the rushing water, but he had to lean out again to hear him properly. "What?" He shouted. Ryan repeated, "I said where did you get this brown jacket from? It looks kind of familiar." The question took the Brit aback, not only because the older man sounded a bit unsure when he asked, but also because he couldn't think off the top of his head what jacket he meant. It took him a good few seconds to realize what the random question meant. "Oh, that's Michael's jacket. . .it was the only thing they allowed me to keep once they buried him. Besides a few pictures, It's also the only thing I have left to remember him." After he explained, he didn't hear anything else from The Vagabond, so he figured that was good enough for him. He didn't question it any further, and instead continued to clean himself. Within a few seconds, he heard the door open, but that was it. Curiously, he looked to the side and saw his masked boyfriend standing awkwardly at the door with his head turned away and holding out a few articles of clothing. "What are you playing at?" The Brit asked playfully. "You really embarrassed to see me nude after we just had sex?" He didn't even need to see Ryan's face to tell he was blushing.

 

"Yeah, well, it's. . .shut up." Ryan muttered in defense, dropping the clothes on the floor. "Hurry it up I want a turn." He huffed and clothed the door. "Weird bloke." Gavin chuckled, finishing up with washing his hair. Now he was all cleaned and warmed up from the inside out, and ready to head to bed. He stepped out of the shower after turning the water off, stepping onto a towel he laid out on the floor and grabbing a spare to dry with. Picking the outfit Ryan had chose for him, he stretched out the shirt to see which one he picked. Just a plain blue shirt, boring. He did remember Ryan saying blue was his favourite colour, though, which was also his. Perhaps that's why. Let's see, and it looked like he picked out his favourite pair of PJ pants to go along with it. He really was the perfect boyfriend after all. The brunette smiled to himself as he had that thought, and he quickly slipped his clothes on. He was perfect in a lot of ways, sure. But there was still the issue of him not removing his mask. He still didn't make a decision in the time it took him to shower. The more he thought about it, the more his curiosity was taking over. He wanted to see his face, and he's been wanting to for a long time now. They're dating, so he should get the privilege of seeing what he looked like, right? It seemed odd to know someone for months and hide your face from them for so long. It was kind of like catfishing in real life, he thought. Gavin didn't care what he looked like, he just wanted to see at least once, just so he knew and could stop wondering. So he decided, finally, he would ask.

 

Gavin didn't bother with letting himself dry all the way before he was out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, where he spotted The Vagabond sitting on the bed and looking up at him. "Feel better now?" The Brit bit down on his lip to stop himself from frowning. He suddenly felt sick with nerves, but he knew this question had to be asked. No more beating around the bush. Without a word, he walked over to the bed, taking a seat next to his boyfriend. He was planning on looking him in the eye when he asked, being brave and giving him a tone that sounded stern and authoritative. But none of that happened, he just stared at his lap awkwardly and tried to think what the hell he could even say. He wasn't sure how many seconds he wasted just sitting like a statue, but the other's deep and soothing voice coaxed him out of his frozen stupor. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?" He sounded so concerned, and it broke Gavin's heart to know that he was the cause of it. He never meant for that to happen. Even still, he couldn't bring himself to look into those light blue eyes. For some reason, he felt like he was about to betray Ryan with the next sentence he uttered, but without a second thought, he uttered it. "Let me see your face."


	11. Chapter 11

Once Gavin had left for the bathroom to shower, The Vagabond sighed and shook his head. His lover was such a weird little guy, but he didn't mind one bit. While he was busy with cleaning himself, Ryan went ahead and cleaned up the room; picking up the wet and abandoned clothes from the floor and throwing them into the clothes basket. He noticed that the Brit also threw his car keys onto the floor, so he took the time to pick them up and walk over to the dresser next to the bed, placing them down on top of it. As he turned to walk away, he had noticed the top drawer was slightly ajar. Curiosity got the best of him and he took a peek inside, spotting a picture frame inside, and not much else aside from a few pieces of paper and pens. That was strange, too strange for him to just let go. So, quietly, he opened it up a bit more, getting a better look at the photo. It appeared to be Gavin standing next to another man a couple inches shorter than him with dark brownish red curly hair. They were both smiling and looked pretty happy. That must be Michael, Ryan assumed. And boy, did they look happy to be together. It made Ryan feel really bad. Would he ever be able to make Gavin that happy? Or was he merely a replacement to him?

 

He was so distracted with his thoughts that he completely missed the brunette yelling for him from the bathroom. He had missed 90% of the request, but he did catch the word "clothes". He had to think for a moment before he understood. "Yeah, sure." He replied back a little more rushed and nervous than he intended. "Just want some night clothes or something? Well. . stupid question, it is night. Hold on a second. It's in this closet, right?" He nearly stumbled over himself trying to reach the closet. He felt dumb, as if he was just caught redheaded peeking into the Brit's drawer, even though he was in the bathroom and had no idea. Luckily for him, Gavin didn't seem to notice the nerves in his voice as he responded with a confirmation, and told him to find whatever looked comfortable. That shouldn't be too hard. Just act like a damn normal human for once, James.

 

Shaking away the anxiety, The Vagabond headed for the closet, opening it up and peering at the contents inside. It was completely normal. . .unlike his closet. There were clothes, mostly, but he also saw an umbrella, and a camera tucked away safely in a box in the back. Boy, the ideas Ryan began to have after seeing that. . .No time for that, though. He looked up, checking over all the options he had, which were limited; there wasn't much in there, really. While searching through the shirts and pants that were hanging on hooks and hangers, he stopped at one article of clothing in particular. It was a light brown leather jacket with a black collar. It looked like just a normal, generic leather jacket anyone would wear. But something didn't quite sit right with The Vagabond: he's never seen Gavin wear this coat even once. Even during the frigid weather, he never brought it out. But besides that, he could have sworn he's seen it somewhere before. It's pretty basic, so perhaps he just saw someone else wearing it before? But if that were the case, then why is it popping out so much to him? He needed some answers, so he opted to call for Gavin. "Hey Gavin, where did you get this jacket from?" He asked, and then waited for an answer. He waited a few more seconds, but didn't receive one. Maybe Gavin didn't hear him? Or maybe he wasn't answering because he had a secret he didn't want to share regarding the coat. After a few seconds, he heard the Brit shout back, "what?" Which caused The Vagabond to stammer out the sentence again. "I said, where did you get this brown jacket from? It looks kind of familiar." At this point he was feeling a bit overwhelmed with confusion and uncertainty, and he knew it showed in his voice. He could have kicked himself for sounding like that, the last thing he wanted to do was make Gavin worry about him.

 

"Oh, that's Michael's jacket. . .it was the only thing they allowed me to keep once they buried him. Besides a few pictures, it's also the only thing I have left to remember him." He barely heard the explanation from the loud spray of water, but he was able to make out some words and connected them together. So it was the guy in the photo's jacket, huh? For whatever reason, he could feel like he was picking up on something, but just like that, it was gone. He didn't have time to waste wondering about that, he had to finish his task at hand. He scanned the clothing yet again and decided to go with a blue shirt. Blue was Gavin's favourite colour, after all, so he should like it. Then he spotted a pair of black PJ pants which looked pretty soft and comfortable. That'll work. He grabbed the outfit and turned to walk towards the door, when he thought of one more thing: underwear. Of course. Searching around quickly, he spotted the four dresser drawers inside the closet, figuring one of those must be the correct one he was looking for. He opened the first one, and luckily enough: he was right. Socks and underwear and a few belts were shoved inside, not folded or laid out nicely at all. This will be something he'd have to have a talk with his boyfriend about. His face suddenly flushed before he could figure out why, and then it hit him. He was going through Gavin's unmentionables. How embarrassing. Even if they were dating, he still felt perverted. Wanting to just get it over with, he grabbed a pair and slammed the drawer closed, briskly walking towards the bathroom, stopping just in front of the door.

 

The bathroom door was slightly open, just enough that he could get a good glimpse of the Brit in the shower. His face reddened even deeper. There he was, in all his tanned British glory: wet. . .soapy. . .naked. Oh, Ryan's pants got a little shorter. "Shit." He mumbled to himself as he looked away awkwardly. This was just great, what a creep he was! He was ashamed of himself. He should just throw the clothes in and be done with it. So he slowly opened the door, and took the fist full of fabrics and held them out into the room while doing everything he could to avoid looking at the naked man. Maybe Gavin won't notice him. . ."What are you playing at?" He heard his lover ask, followed by a mocking chuckle. "You really embarrassed to see me nude after we just had sex?" If he wasn't already embarrassed before, he certainly was now. He suddenly felt defensive. "Yeah, well, it's. . .shut up." Of course he was too shy to look at Gavin! Seeing someone showering is completely different than seeing them laying naked in front of you with their legs spread out and. . .James, get a hold of yourself, you're making it worse! He quickly dropped the clothes onto the floor. "Hurry it up I want a turn." Was the only other thing he could think of saying before he took his leave, making sure to huff loud enough so the Brit could hear him. He then walked back to the bedroom, taking a seat on the bed and trying to calm his boner down while he waited for the other to finish up. It would be very awkward for him to be caught like that, and he's been in enough awkward situations with his newly made boyfriend already.

 

Soon enough, the door opened back up and out came the newly cleaned British idiot. "Feel better now?" He asked him, which the only response he got was Gavin looking unsure and upset, causing Ryan to worry. He watched as he took a seat next to him, eyes focused on the floor and not speaking a single word to him. Now he was really worried. Had he done something wrong? Perhaps he took their relationship too far by asking him to have sex with him again so soon? Or maybe he did something else wrong? Was he finally realizing how much of a failure he was and is regretting being with him? What if he came to his senses about how crazy he is and doesn't feel safe any longer around him? It could have been multiple problems that Ryan could think of, and the silence wasn't helping him at all. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?" He finally asked Gavin, hoping he'd be able to get to the bottom of the problem. He waited for an agonizingly quiet few seconds before at last the brunette opened his mouth to speak, not looking up at him as he did so. The sentence he uttered to him was something that caused his mind to feel like it broke suddenly. The one thing he was most afraid to hear him say: "Let me see your face."

 

Not only did Ryan's body freeze, but his mind froze as well. Time seemed to speed up, despite him being stiff and unable to speak. 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, he wasn't sure how many seconds had passed that he sat there like a statue. His brain refused to process what he had just heard, and eventually it rejected it completely. Maybe he heard him wrong? Maybe he didn't mean to say it? The Vagabond opened his mouth, then closed it, mimicking a fish as he tried to find something he could say, anything. He settled with, "what?" because it was the only thing his brain was telling him to say. His eyes bore holes into Gavin's face, just watching him. After he asked, the Brit finally looked up at him, his face getting a bit more stern and confident. "I want you to remove your mask. You never take it off around me, and I want to know why. I want to see your face, for once." Ryan wasn't able to say that he heard him wrong, anymore, he definitely heard him correctly. Out of everything that could have been wrong, this may have been the worst case scenario for him. He had no idea what he could respond with, clearly he had to tell him no, but if he did, how would Gavin take that? He'd surely be angry and ask him more questions, like "why?". He had to think quickly, the more time he wasted staying quiet, the more suspicious it would get. He had to come up with something to throw him off his case. But what?

 

Thinking fast, Ryan stumbled over a random excuse. "It's because I'm ashamed of how I look. I don't want to scare you off and make you not like me. It would ruin things." That lie seemed to not set well with the Brit, who in return gave a confused and annoyed glare. "You were wearing it since we first met, surely that can't be the reason why, or you wouldn't have cared if I saw how you looked back then. Besides, I don't even care what you look like! I'll still like you, Stupid. We have been dating for awhile, and you haven't shown me even once." The Vagabond's heart was pounding out of his chest at that point; he couldn't think of any other excuse other than being physically self conscious, but that wasn't enough for Gavin to accept. The two exchanged an awkward moment of silence as they stared at each other, neither of them budging from that spot. Perhaps it was time to finally come clean to Gavin and tell him about what he really does. After all, they are in love and he wouldn't reject him no matter what, right? Maybe if he just explained to him that he was in a gang, he would understand and support him. If Gavin knew he was in a gang, he wouldn't question anything anymore, he wouldn't bother about asking him to remove his mask.

 

If Gavin knew he was in a gang. . .there was a possibility he would end up being killed. There's no way he could let that happen. If he let Gavin be killed, he wouldn't be able to live with himself any longer. There was no way he could confess to him. Ryan was out of options, out of excuses, and out of time. He didn't want to disappoint Gavin, anyway, he only ever wanted to make him happy. So if seeing his face makes him happy, then it might be alright to let him see him without his mask. He knew it was risky, because he could get in some serious trouble if anyone were to find out, but who would find out? They're inside his house, not outside. So maybe. . .it would be okay. "Okay, Gavin. . .if you really want to see that badly, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I do kind of prefer to leave my mask on, but you're right, we have been dating for awhile and it is weird that you don't even know what I look like." He placed his hand on the back of his head where the seam of his mask was, slipping his fingers inside it and with a slow movement, pushed the leather over his head, and pulled it away from his face. He instantly felt the air hitting his skin, and it was like having a heavy veil pulled off. He was able to breathe finally, and he didn't feel as sweaty. That alone was a relief. But then he remembered the situation he was in and looked back down towards Gavin, letting his mask lay next to him on the bed. He suddenly got nervous; he really was just a bit self conscious with his looks, especially since he was facing someone he liked. He hoped he would be okay enough for Gavin to still like him. What if he thought he wasn't attractive enough? Ryan mentally slapped himself for sounding like a teenager. It was embarrassing, but he couldn't help but feel that way. He was almost 10 years older than Gavin, so what if he thought he was too old looking for him? His eyes searched the Brit's face, looking for any sign of disgust, or. . .something, but all he could see was a blank expression.

 

Things were starting to get even more awkward the longer they sat in silence, so Ryan avoided eye contact. It wasn't until at least fifteen seconds later that Gavin stood up, walking in front of The Vagabond, and staring him down. Ryan was caught off guard by what happened next, and it nearly made him fall forward. Gavin had grabbed his face and jerked it forward with such force, it made Ryan surprised at how he could even emit that much strength from within that tiny body. His head was forced upwards, and there was a sudden warmth against his mouth, and his vision was blocked by something. It took him nearly five seconds to realize he was being kissed. It left him dazed and confused, but he melted into Gavin's touch and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him closer and kissing him back softly. Once they pulled apart, Ryan stared at Gavin with a questionable face, which made the Brit smirk in return. "You are a bloody idiot, after all. Calling yourself unattractive when you're not!" The Vagabond cocked his head to the side. "I'm not?" Gavin huffed and folded his arms. "No! You're well hot. I'd say. . .7/10." Ryan narrowed his eyes at the comment. He didn't think he was above average, but still, the fact that Gavin would give him a number like a 7 instead of something higher kind of hurt his feelings. He didn't care too much, though, he was just happy that Gavin accepted him for how he was. "So then I guess you're not going to dump me?" He teased as he nuzzled his nose against the other's. "Duh, 'course not. Bloody fool. Now let's lay down and get some sleep." The Brit finished his demand with a loud yawn, showing he really did want to just sleep.

 

Ryan wasn't too thrilled, after all, he wanted to get a shower first before they went to bed. He was also worried that staying over at his house would end badly, but he figured it couldn't hurt. Besides, he had been wanting to sleep with Gavin like a normal couple. The Vagabond wouldn't admit it, but he was a cuddler, and he wanted to know what it would be like to snuggle with the Brit while they both slept. It was one of his many desires. So he readily agreed to give the brunette what he wanted. "Anything you wish, Dear." He couldn't help the grin that spread across his cheeks. Teasing Gavin just seemed to come naturally for him, just like loving him began to become more and more natural. He laid down with the brunette, cautiously wrapping his arms around his waist and bringing him close to his body, allowing Gavin to lay his head against his chest, while he placed his head against Gavin's. He felt warm and comfortable, having the Brit in his arms like that. It was much more comforting than the last time he held him. He wasn't that tired at first, but within minutes he was feeling drowsy, and the idea of sleeping wasn't that bad. "Goodnight, Gav." He mumbled with a sleepy tone to his voice. Gavin nodded and chuckled. "Gnight, Bondy.~" Ryan had to roll his eyes at the nickname. Part of the reason he told Gavin his real name was so he would stop calling him that, and yet he still does every now and then.

 

He felt his boyfriend relaxing against his body, and figured he must be quickly falling asleep, so he closed his eyes and tried to do the same. He felt slightly bad that he didn't add in an "I love you" with the goodnight, but if he had to admit shamefully, he was still too scared to say it, even though he wasn't 100% sure why. Deep down he had a fear that if he said it, it would disgust Gavin and he would stop liking him. But that's silly, right? Of course they both love each other, so he shouldn't have that fear. Not only that, but, he wasn't experienced with relationships, so he wasn't even sure how long two people date before they exchange "I love yous" and he just didn't want to mess it up. Gavin has already told him he loved him, but what if that was just an "in the moment" thing? What if he didn't mean to say it so soon? After all, they weren't even dating then, so how could he love him before they started dating? Wait. . .isn't that EXACTLY what Ryan did? Maybe it would be okay after all to say it, it should make Gavin happy. "Hey, Gav. . ." He started, and nothing but quiet snoring came from the brunette. He was already deep asleep. Oh well, he could just tell him in the morning, no big deal. He'll have plenty of time to tell him how much he means to him, unless Gavin dumps him of course. So with that settled in his mind, he was able to quickly slip into a slumber as well, keeping the brunette close to him and not letting go. He slept the most peaceful sleep he had ever experienced before.

 

The next morning slipped by quickly, and Ryan wasn't woken up by anything else but his body telling him it was time to wake up. His eyes slowly opened as he took in the light that filtered into the small room. He was confused for a moment, expecting to wake up somewhere familiar, but instead looking around a place he didn't recognize. It took him less than five seconds to remember that he was in Gavin's apartment, though, so he relaxed and stopped his racing heart. Blinking back the sleep in his eyes, he turned his head to the empty space next to him, no longer having a warm body nestled in his arms. He was surprised that Gavin moving out of his embrace didn't wake him up, but he knew he was in a pretty deep sleep and even an earthquake couldn't wake him. He sat up in the bed and stretched his arms up, getting the kinks and numbness out. "Wonder where he went. . ." He muttered to himself quietly as he shifted off the bed and stood up. He was about to walk towards the bathroom when something caught his eye: a bright white piece of paper on the dresser. He didn't think it was there last night, so he curiously eyed it. When he saw "Ryan" written in big letters, that's when he realized it was a letter for him from Gavin. He picked it up and read it out loud. "Ryan, my boss called me and asked to come in so he could talk to me. I didn't want to wake you up, and since you forgot your phone at your house, I had no other choice but to leave you a note. So thanks, Wanker. I'll be home later tonight, depending on what it is he needs to talk to me about. Probably something bad, but oh well! See you later! Love ya!" The Vagabond placed the note down and smiled, getting a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach from reading that. He'll for sure have to tell Gavin how much he loves him later. That suddenly gave him an idea.

 

He knew he loved Gavin, more than anyone else he has ever met, so he was confident that doing something extreme to show his love wouldn't be that big of a deal, maybe something like buying the Brit a ring? Not like an engagement ring. . .probably, just something to symbolize their love. Perhaps he will use it to ask Gavin to marry him, when he's ready. He'll just buy the ring, explain to his boyfriend that he's giving it to him as sort of an. . .investment? Whatever, he'd come up with something after buying it. Either way, he knew that it was a smart idea, and he would take the chance to really tell him how he felt; he wouldn't be able to move on otherwise. If he left quickly, he knew he'd be able to return around nighttime. He'd have to skip out on his gang activities for the night, and leave his mask at home, but he was confident he'd be able to sneak around without anyone realizing that he had removed his mask in front of Gavin. Things were starting to look up, things were getting better for him. The idea of abandoning his gang altogether and just starting a life with the man he loved was looking more and more promising and more rewarding. He'd have to come up with a good way to get out of it, though, because most of the members don't get out of the gang unless they are kicked out. Kicked out meaning. . .taken out. But he wasn't worried, he was smart, he could come up with a way, like usual.

 

After taking a quick shower and grabbing his coat and mask, he proceeded to head out the door. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he noticed something hard hitting his fingertips. Curiously, he pulled out his pocket knife. He had remembered that he didn't put it in his jacket for self defense, but he had the notion to bring it so he could give it to Gavin. It was his favourite knife, and he had thought that handing it over might not only give his boyfriend some protection when he wasn't around, but would also show how much he cared. It was a sweet idea, to him anyway. He placed the knife next to the note the Brit had left, opening the drawer up and looking for another blank page to write on. Once he found one and grabbed an ink pen, he scribbled quickly "Gavin, I meant to give it to you last night but forgot, just like I forgot my phone. I wanted you to have my lucky pocketknife. I'll teach you how to use it eventually. See you later tonight." He considered adding "love you too", but decided it wouldn't be meaningful on paper, instead he'd wait until he met up with him again later that night. He would get the scenario and what he was going to say to him straight in his head before they met again, he was sure of it. After leaving the note behind, he continued to walk out of the front door and stepped out into the warmth of the fresh spring air. It was a nice day, for once, and he knew it was going to be a good one.

 

It was actually a pretty long walk to the nearest jewelry store, but Ryan felt giddy the entire time, wondering what colour the band and jewel should be, what kind of gem he should even go for. He had plenty of money, so cost wasn't an issue, he would spend whatever it took; Gavin was worth it to him. Stepping into the store, he was immediately berated by the sale's clerk, which he found annoying. "Good afternoon, sir! Anything specific you're looking for?" He really just wanted to look on his own, and didn't want to be pressured into buying anything he wasn't looking for, so he waved the woman off and replied, "actually, I'm just browsing." The woman backed off afterwards, letting him shop in peace while he sighed in relief. Dodged that bullet. Rounding the counters, he eyed every sparkling piece of rock he saw, considering each one carefully. They all looked kind of pretty, and expensive, but then again, Ryan wasn't much for jewelry and knew nothing about value or what people typically liked. It took nearly five minutes off "hmm"ing and "ehh"ing before he came across the perfect ring: it had a golden band with a small green emerald nestled on top, with even smaller zircon gems lined up three on each side down the band. It was perfect, it had both their birthstones on it, not only that: but it was also the colour of their eyes. The gold band would go nicely with Gavin's sunglasses, too. But more importantly, the gem that was Gavin's birthstone was the biggest and most important gem on the ring, much like how the Brit was the most important person to him. He didn't even bother looking at the price; he wanted it. Calling the clerk over, he waved her down and pointed at the band. "I'd like to buy this one." She nodded in understanding, grabbing the key to the case and smiling at him. "Buying an engagement ring for your girlfriend? You picked a good one."

 

The Vagabond's face reddened, and he felt his ears start to burn. "Uh, well, yeah, kind of." He stuttered awkwardly, causing the woman to look at him oddly, before quickly going back to her professional smile. "How lovely! Which size will you be needing?" Shit! He doesn't even know Gavin's ring size! How could he go shopping for a ring when he doesn't even know his size?! He stared at the middle aged woman for a good long while as he thought. Let's see, the Brit's hands were smaller than his, and he knew his size was a 10, so Gavin might be a 9 or even 8. He decided to go with 8 1/2, just to be safe. The clerk nodded her head again and searched the multiple choices before picking one up out of the case, closing and locking the display once she had retrieved it. "You're in luck, there's one left. Come over here and I will "ring" you up." She gave a cheeky wink, clearly proud of her crap pun, that Ryan ignored anyway. He had his fill of bad puns from his boyfriend. He didn't need it from this random woman. After she rang the jewelry up, Ryan's eyes nearly fell out of his skull. That was an expensive piece of rock, but no matter, he was willing to pay. Perhaps he should wait a few more months before considering leaving his gang; he was going to need the money. The clerk graciously put the ring in a satin case before handing it over to him. His nerves were starting to settle in. One part down, now he just needed to rehearse the words he was going to tell him in his head. It was nearly 2 pm at that point, so he had plenty of time to head home and get himself ready; catch up on cleaning while he was at it. He set a time to head back to the Brit's: 10 pm. The time they usually meet up with each other to hang out.

 

Once he was home, he cleaned up the house, got himself a longer and more refreshing shower, found some nice clothes, and texted Gavin letting him know when he would be arriving at his house. He received a text back saying "Top. By the way, got the knife you left. Weirdo." He knew he said it with love, though. At least he assumed. They texted back and forth while The Vagabond wrote down on paper the words he wanted to say to his boyfriend, and recited them over and over. He changed line after line, replacing and redoing them. He wanted to nail it, make it emotional. He didn't want to make the brunette cry, of course, but if a tear or two slips out, he surely wouldn't mind! He would just embrace him and tell him he loved him, and they would share a tender moment together in each other's arms while he poured his heart and soul out to him. It would be magically, surely! He'd make it be. He was starting to get excited, and wanted time to just skip ahead, already! He found random things around the house to keep him busy, even going so far as to pull out his old game system and playing a few random games.

 

Soon enough, 9:30 pm rolled around, and Ryan decided he would head out so he wouldn't be too late getting to his house. He slipped on his leather jacket, as per usual, and shoved the ring inside his pocket, clutching it tightly and taking a deep breath. The more he thought about it, the more he just wanted to ask Gavin to marry him, despite half of his brain telling him not to because it was too early. He just couldn't stop himself from feeling the desire to. He would decide what to do once he arrived at his house. Without wasting another second, he stepped out of his house, making sure to lock it before he began his long journey to the Brit's house, all the while his hands sweating with nerves. It was quiet, and the chill was coming back the deeper the night got. He was sure glad he brought his jacket with him. Not like he'd ever leave home without it anyway. It was also refreshing to be able to go out and not have to wear his mask for once, just letting the cool air hit his face. The longer he walked down the sidewalk, the more his heart raced, but he wasn't sure why. Sure, he was nervous that he was about to pour his heart out to Gavin, but his instincts were picking up on something else, as well. He shook it off and kept walking. There wasn't anyone around, so it was fine.

 

Nearly ten minutes from the brunette's apartment, he felt a presence near him, for a reason he couldn't explain. He became paranoid, looking around quickly, not seeing anything. He told himself to calm down, and that it was nothing. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was hiding in the shadows. Whatever it was, it was nothing, right? Just his imagination. He kept watching, and soon enough he was five minutes from the apartment. Nearly there. He was excited and nervous at the same time, but he would get through it, and they would both be happier after it. All he could think about were the words he wrote down. Saying them over and over in his head. He was so lost in thought, he barely heard footsteps approaching him. They were so light, he missed them until it was too late. Before he could even blink, his vision was blocked by something covering his face. Everything went black, and within a split second, he felt a hard blunt object connecting with his skull. He saw white for only a moment before his senses seemed to switch off, and then Ryan felt another strike to his head faster and more aggressive than the first. That one did it. Not being able to react or keep his conscious much longer, the blow to the head caused him to black out and collapse to the ground. He heard and saw nothing after that.


	12. Chapter 12

By the time Ryan had woken up, there was a moment where he was unsure if he was actually conscious, because his vision was nothing but darkness. It was hard to breathe, and he couldn't see. When he made an attempt to move his arms, he found he was unable to; they were bound behind his back. It took him a few seconds before he could gather up enough strength to try to thrash around, attempting to get whatever was on his head off, but his body felt heavy, and didn't want to cooperate. That small amount of movement was enough for him to become fatigued. He heard laughter soon following, and stopped abruptly when he realized there were people surrounding him. "Hey! What the hell is going on!" He called out to whoever it was, and was answered by whatever was covering his head being yanked off him. It was a relief, since he was finally about to breathe and see, but what he saw in front of him wasn't. It was still dark wherever he was, but a small light hanging from the ceiling provided enough lighting. Four men stood in front of him, all covered with masks. Taking another glance, he noticed he was in his gang's. . ."special" room, which was pretty much just a large shed that was used for taking in rival gang members and either torturing them for information, or killing them off for the hell of it. He rarely saw this room, since he wasn't one of the higher ups that was in charge of taking care of that business, he only brought the people in.

 

"What the hell? Why did you assholes kidnap me?" Ryan asked, his voice almost rising to an angered yell, but he was able to keep himself calm, despite wanting to shout numerous curse words at his fellow gang members. Instead of receiving an answer, he instead was met with smug laughter as they looked at each other in knowing silence. Ryan was near ready to ask again, when he was interrupted by another man emerging from the shadows and into the dim light. It was a man wearing a wolf mask; their leader. "What is going on? Why are you doing this to me?" He called out to his leader, hoping for any sort of answer that might shed some light on this bizarre situation. He was met with nothing but silence yet again. He was beginning to think they couldn't even hear him. Was he going crazy? Or was something else going on? He watched carefully as the wolf mask wearing man walked towards him, stopping when he was mere inches him him. Then, without warning, he brought his foot up, driving it right into the side of The Vagabond's head, kicking him with enough force to cause him to fall over onto the ground. He was stunned, unable to react to the sudden attack. His body still refused to move, so he was unable to pick himself back up and try to retaliate. He was only able to lift his head up towards the man and look at him with a glare. The Wolf bent down, grabbing a hold of Ryan's hair and yanking him back up into a seated position. "You ask what is going on?" He speaks with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Isn't it obvious? It's punishment for all those rules you broke." Once he was finished speaking, he threw The Vagabond's head back, almost with enough force to send him backwards. Ryan, motionless and unable to reply, simply scoffed. Rules he broke? What rules? What proof did he have that he did break any? That's what he wanted to say to his leader, but the words just wouldn't come out. It wasn't that he was afraid of him, in fact, he was certain if they were to engage in a one on one fight, he would be able to beat him, but the fact that he's the head of the group and had with him multiple disposable men, there was no way he would be able to get out unscathed.

 

The only chance he had to get out alive was to just listen to whatever The Wolf had to say and take whatever "punishment" he was looking to inflict him with. "I'm surprised, no smart ass comment from The Vagabond? But he always has something to say, doesn't he? All he does is run his mouth and talk big, but I guess when you have talent and skill like you have, there's plenty to back up that talk, right? Where's all that intimidation now? Don't tell me you're just going to sit back and take it." The leader teased him, causing Ryan to bite back what was about to leave his lips. If he didn't play it cool and logical, he was going to be in severe trouble. He knew this game, and he wasn't about to play along. "Uh, if I may? What rules are you referring to that I broke?" He asked curiously, his face hid his real emotions; on the outside he appeared emotionless and calm, but on the inside he was panicking. Did they some how find out about him taking his mask off? But that's impossible, right? There's no way they could have found out about that. The Wolf laughed under his breath before replying, "well, I won't speak for him since he's the one who claims to have witnessed it, instead I will let him do the honours." Ryan squinted his eyes a bit more in suspicion. "He? Who's he?" He didn't have to wonder long, for his question was answered once another man appeared from the shadows, this time a bison mask poked out and approached him. "You." The Vagabond growled, low and primal. Every time he saw that mask, it made him tense up with rage. He will never forget the night The Bison, no, Geoff caused him to snap so badly that he nearly killed Gavin. He regretted saving his life from the moment he did it, and something inside him was telling him he was _really_ about to regret it. "What a pitiful sight, The Vagabond tied up with a nice little bruise on the back of his head. It's what you get, Vagabond. Or should I call you by your real name, Ryan?" Hearing his name, his heart dropped into his stomach. He must have been conscious when he was talking to Gavin that night and only feigned being knocked out. "Bastard. . ." He couldn't think of anyway to combat what was happening, he knew he was caught, however. . .just breaking the rule of not giving out your name shouldn't get him too punished. "I was able to document those nice little wounds you gave me, too. I told Boss all about your little stunt you pulled, you really think you could get away with torturing me like that?" Geoff continued, proving his point by rolling up his sleeve and showing the deep scar that began to form over the stab wound he had inflicted upon him. The Wolf tilted his head and sighed. "Unfortunately, this has happened before with him. He has gotten into plenty of fights with other gang members, but I have never seen this kind of violence being used against one of our own. You know how much I hate fighting within the group. That makes two rules."

 

Okay. . .two rules, Ryan was sure he'd be able to take whatever he was about to get from those two little rules being broken. "Just get this over with, already. You're drawing this out longer than it needs to be. I need to be somewhere soon." He said with mild worry in his voice. "Patience. Your punishment will come, and I don't think you are going to enjoy what it is. Plus, I am not finished here." The Wolf replied as he turned to Geoff. "Normally I wouldn't do this, but since it seems the only way he will learn his lesson is by physical force rather than a lecture, I will allow for you to inflict the same torment he has done to you. You have the go-ahead to do whatever you wish to him." Wait, what?! Is he serious? He's letting Geoff do whatever he wants to him while he's tied up? That hardly seems fair! He can't even fight back! "What kind of sick. . ." Ryan began as he made an attempt to free himself from his binds, but again his body just felt like giving up. "My apologies, I had forgotten to mention one other detail. You're a dangerous man, too dangerous to be allowed to go without some sort of sedation." The leader explained as he slipped something out of his pocket and held it up to the light. Looking at it closer, Ryan noticed it was a syringe, but it had nothing in the vile. That explained why he felt so weird and unable to move properly. "It's sad that you had to resort to drugging me because you know you idiots can't handle me." The Wolf sighed in return, acting like this whole situation was a nuisance for _him_. "Don't think I forgot to mention how you unmasked me in front of another person." The bison masked man continued. Ryan began to sweat. "Inexcusable." The Wolf said with disappointment, shaking his head. How else could this get worse? He was way beyond screwed now. "Before we continue, why don't you take your frustrations out so that your head will be a little clearer?" He turned towards Geoff, motioning towards Ryan with his hand. The Vagabond didn't have a good feeling about what was about to happen next. 

 

The Bison chuckled, low and menacing, before stepping over in front of Ryan, gazing down at him as if he was his prey. The bound man could do nothing but glare up at him with hatred in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to break free and beat Geoff to death this time, finishing off what he had started before. But he knew there was no chance of that happening; he was helpless and defenseless. "I want you to scream for me, okay? So don't hold back." he spoke as he grabbed a hold of Ryan's hair, yanking his head back and stared him deep in the eyes before slamming his fist into the side of his head, nailing him near the temple. After the first hit, another came straight into his gut, then to the jaw. The flurries of punches came so quick he barely had time to blink before he was feeling the barrage of hits. He leaned forward after a particularly strong kick to his stomach and The Bison took the opportunity to grab the back of his head and slam his face into the ground. He saw black, and then all of a sudden his vision went white with the impact. Letting out a grunt, he did nothing but sputter and spit out blood into the dirt underneath his face. His whole body already began to ache and scream at him, but he had a feeling it wasn't over yet. Geoff pulled him upright so he was back sitting, getting a good look at his work before he released his head, walking out of sight for a mere second before coming back into view, a pair of scissors in hand. Ryan's eyes widened at the sight of them, knowing full well that he was about to get something a lot worse than just a simple beating. He opened his mouth to speak, wanting to somehow come to a consensus, but when he did, The Bison shushed him. "I don't need to hear your words, I just want to hear your tormented screaming. He drove his point by whipping out a cloth from his pocket as if he was some magician preforming at a show. Not being able to fight back, Ryan had to allow the other man to shove the cloth against his mouth and tie it around his head. He uttered an annoyed "come on" at him, but it came out muffled and unrecognizable. Talking was useless, now.

 

Geoff yanked Ryan's head upwards, keeping a tight grip on him by squeezing his jaw with one hand. With the other hand, he pointed the sharp end of the scissors right up against the upper lid of The Vagabond's eye, just barley touching the tip against the jelly-like substance of his eyeball. "You ever heard of an ice pick lobotomy? Sorry, but I don't have an ice pick, so we'll have to make due with scissors, I guess.~" Wait, what? There's no way he would survive having a pair of scissors shoved into his head! That's insanity! He didn't do anything that terrible to him, so what the hell? The Bison placed his palm against the handle, slowly rearing it back. This is it, Ryan was sure it was it; he was going to die right here right now. He wanted to close his eyes so badly, but he wasn't able to close the one that was being kept open by the sharp tool. He stared at Geoff, and tried to keep a calm and collected face, but the fear was obvious. Then, something unexpected happen, the scissors were pulled away and Geoff began to laugh loudly. Ryan sighed in relief of no longer feeling something prodding against his cornea, but he was also confused. "Unlike you, I am not into torturing people to see their blood. I like to keep it simple and effective." He threw the weapon down onto the ground and cocked his head in amusement. "But, seeing that cloth in your mouth does give me an idea. So will you hold on for just a minute?" He spoke so smugly, it made The Vagabond sick; he wasn't used to being on this side of the situation, and he hated it. It actually made him start to regret all those times he would take advantage of someone else for being weak. But there was nothing he could do but sit there and hope The Bison finishes up his fun quickly so he could leave. There's no way his leader would not be satisfied after all this, so he has to let him go once this is finished, right? This was punishment enough for the rules he broke, he was sure of it. Then again, their leader wasn't known for being the most generous man. 

 

It didn't take long for The Bison to return, holding something else in his hand. It appeared to be just a bucket. What the hell could he do with that? Was there acid or something in it? Again, Ryan didn't have to wonder for long before Geoff was putting his plan into motion. He started by shoving Ryan onto the ground, back first, and he was anything but gentle while he did so. Once he had him on his back, he straddled his torso, putting all his weight onto his stomach and grabbed onto his head, holding it down and slightly angled backwards. He watched as the man untied the cloth from the back of his head and draped it over his entire face, and that's when Ryan realized what was going on. He couldn't see what was happening, but there was a sudden feeling of liquid being splashed onto his face. Instantly, Ryan began to sputter and choke on the soaked rag, his gag reflexes kicking on. He felt as if he was drowning, it was horrible. He struggled for breath, but every time he tried to breathe in he was met with more water entering his nose and mouth. His heart raced, and he was beginning to panic. He was going to suffocate to death. He trashed his body, desperately trying to get Geoff off him as he coughed and inhaled uncontrollably. He didn't want to die like this. His throat felt like it was closed off, and even his nose refused to allow for any airflow at all. His chest tightened, and his head felt lighter the more he was losing oxygen. Second after second past, but it felt like minutes until finally the water stopped pouring down on him and the cloth was removed from his face. He was left panting for air, near close to breaking into a sob, but he refused to crack just yet. It was going to take a lot more than that to break him. "I'm really into ancient torture. Why fix something that isn't broken, right?" The Bison commented as he stood up off Ryan, tossing the bucket down with a loud metallic clanking sound. "Just a shame I don't have more equipment to do more to you. I would love to throw you into an iron maiden."

 

Ryan wasn't in the mood for jokes, and he was sure Geoff understood that very well. But both of them knew it didn't matter. "I am more into the old fashion stuff, so there's not much I can think of to do. I'm not very creative." He looked around the room. "Uh, do you happen to have any pliers laying around anywhere?" Their boss pointed towards the direction to one of the walls. "I have a tool box with a bunch of stuff in it over there. I'm sure you will find plenty of different things to use that you will enjoy, plus more." Geoff happily made his way over to where the man was pointing. Ryan once again played the waiting game while he sat there. It was sad, but it was his reality at the moment that he had to wait for his inevitable pain to come to him. Whatever it was, he was going to do his best to make sure he didn't show too much emotion in his face; he did not want to give them what they wanted. Even so, staring at the six inch pliers Geoff came back with, he couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in his stomach that he was about to experience something worse than feeling like he was drowning. "You look worried. Good. You should be." The Bison replied, mocking the looking on his face as he neared him, once again bending so he was on The Vagabond's level. Without warning, he grabbed a hold of his arm and threw him face first into the ground, gripping his bound hand and extending a finger out towards him. This wasn't going to be fun, it didn't take a genius to know where he was going with this. He felt cold metal against his pointer finger as Geoff clamped down. It only took an instant, but there was a sudden crushing pain that shot up his arm as The Bison used all his strength to snap the pliers shut against Ryan's finger. It was enough force to break the skin and cause them to dig deep into the flesh, but not enough to break the bone. Ryan inhaled sharply, biting down on his lip to keep himself from screaming. He could feel the skin tearing as Geoff began to yank and jerk his finger in every direction, and eventually he was rewarded with a loud "crack". He could feel the bone inside his finger snapping as if it were just a twig, and he couldn't control the yelp that escaped his mouth. It burned, it stung, it ached, it pulsed with pain every time his heart would pump. Every uncomfortable sensation he could feel he was feeling at that moment, and he wanted to scream out so badly, but he willed himself not to. He was sure Geoff was going to try to rip his finger clean off with the amount of twisting and pulling he was doing. It was enough to cause Ryan to feel a sickening sensation in his stomach, and he felt as if he would vomit at any moment. His heart rate picked up, and he began to gather perspiration along his brow. But he held strong, refusing to show emotion.

 

He thought the first time was bad enough, but then The Bison decided to do three more fingers, each one successfully breaking in at least three parts. Trying not to cry out was almost as hard as going through the pain itself, and by time he was bored of breaking his fingers, he was sweating like a pig and panting like he just ran a marathon. But he somehow was able to keep his composure for the most part. He was sure, and quite honestly was hoping, that he would end up passing out from the pain, but unfortunately for him he was wide awake during it all. His adrenaline was kicked into high gear, and he knew that was the only thing keeping him from going insane at that moment. The only thing he could hope to do was try to ignore what was being done to him. He was relieved when the other man finally pulled away from him and walked away, taking his torture device with him. However, he was quick to return back to him with what looked like a small bottle of eye drops. This was going to be hell, he was sure of it. "Now what. . ." he muttered quietly, mostly to himself, but Geoff was quick to answer him. "Oh, you'll see.~" Once again Ryan was moved around, being taken from a face down position and brought back into a seated position. Could he really not just do everything he needed to with him in the same spot? Whatever, he had worse things to worry about, like whatever was in that bottle. The Bison tilted the captured man's head back so that he was looking up. He looked down into his face and laughed. "What was it Gavin said to you awhile ago? That you had beautiful eyes?" He mocked him, running his thumb along The Vagabond's lower lid. "He's right, they are pretty. Huh. I wonder what would happen if I dripped acid in them? Would they be pretty then?" Ryan stared at him with complete and utter shock. There's no way he was serious, right? He wouldn't do something like that. Come on, he's been through enough, hasn't he? There was no need to do something that drastic. 

 

Of course, he was wrong again. Geoff didn't seem like he was backing out of his plan this time as he unscrewed the cap to the eyedropper, getting a generous amount of fluids into the dropper tool and hovered it just above Ryan's iris as he forced him to keep it open. He took his time, probably to enjoy the man's reaction. Ryan hoped that by some chance it really was just regular drops and not actually acid. Maybe this was just a trick to make him react how he wanted him to. He waited, and eventually a single drop was let loose and splashed onto his eyeball. Instantly, there was a sizzling and a bubbling sound that came from the fluids eating away at the weak jelly substance that coated the cornea. Ryan couldn't hold back that time, he let out an agonizing scream as he felt his eye corroding away under the mercy of the acid, he couldn't tell if it was blood or fluid from his eye that began to dribble down his cheek, all he knew was it was searing and quickly moving downwards, aiming for the back of his head. His lids twitched and tried desperately to close themselves, but it was to no use, they were being forced open by a strong pair of fingers. Almost as quickly as the drop landed, Geoff threw The Vagabond's head forward, letting the remaining acid reverse back out of his pupil and drip onto the ground. He was glad he had some heart to not allow it to seep into his brain. He wasn't sure how much more suffering he could handle. His body was shaking, and he could no longer open his damaged eye; he was sure he'd never be able to see out of it again, though. He really felt like dying right then and there just to end it, already. But he was still trying to remain strong. He had to at least try; if he gave up now, he would never get to see Gavin again. Despite all the anguish he was in, he could still only think about his boyfriend. He knew there had to of been something wrong with him, something more than what he had already known was wrong with him.

 

"See, that's all I really wanted to hear from you. Was that so hard?" Geoff laughed loudly as he threw Ryan back onto his ass, standing up straight and staring down at him with a content sigh, clearly satisfied with the work he did to him. "I think that's enough." The Wolf chuckled in amusement as he placed his hand on Geoff's shoulder, interrupting his "fun". "I think he has gotten the point. Now, allow me to finish this meeting by bringing up the last rule that you have broken." The Bison nodded and stepped off, allowing for the leader to kneel down in front of the beaten and defeated man. Ryan couldn't see his face, but he was sure he was grinning from ear to ear. This guy was even more psychotic than he was, so of course he would get enjoyment out of something like this. He was slightly worried, though. . .what last rule could he be talking about? The only thing he could think of, was. . ."Not only did you remove The Bison's mask in front of someone, but you removed your own mask in front of the same man, revealing two of my members to an outsider." Ryan felt his throat close up, and he was unable to catch his breath. He couldn't believe it. . .how did he figure it out? It was impossible! Seeing the look on his face, The Wolf continued. "I bet you're wondering how I know, huh? Tell us, Ryan, where is your mask right now? I noticed you didn't have it on when you went out tonight, like you usually do."

 

He had to think for a moment. He was sure he grabbed it on his way out of Gavin's house, but for some reason he couldn't remember putting it away when he got home. He wrote Gavin a note and laid his mask down to write it, but did he pick it up? He couldn't remember if he did or not! It's possible he might have forgotten to grab it again in his excitement to leave, but would he really be that reckless? "I can tell you where it's at." Geoff was the one who spoke up next, as if he and the boss were playing Good Cop, Bad Cop. "I had called Gavin out to a meeting today, and once we were done discussing our business, I had _insisted_ on coming home with him to talk more. And once I arrived, I noticed an ugly skull mask sitting on the dresser next to his bed." So he could be that reckless, after all it seemed. Ryan had a bad feeling the way Geoff said he insisted on coming home with Gavin, though. He got flashbacks of the night he saw the bison masked man mounting the Brit and trying to take advantage of him, and it made his blood boil. "I swear to God. . .if you laid a hand on Gavin. . ." He growled in a low and threatening voice, which only made Geoff laugh. "You'll do what? I didn't do shit to him, but even if I did, what the hell would you do about it? Nothing. You're in no position to threaten anyone, Dumbass." Ryan silenced himself, knowing that, sadly, he was right. Even if he wanted to do something to Geoff, he couldn't.

 

The leader chuckled at the scene and cocked his head towards The Vagabond. "So, was all this worth it? Just for some stranger you met?" Ryan's face was hard, unchanged; he wasn't about to let himself break down for this man. He would stand up, even if just verbally. "You really want to ask me that? Of course it was worth it. I love him with every fiber of my being, and even if you kill me. . .I will still love him, and I would never regret anything I have done because of him." None of it was a lie, he was serious about his words. He would never regret falling in love with the Brit, and if he had to, he would relive this night a hundred times if it meant he would be able to be happy with him. The Wolf replied with, "I could care less about your so called "love" for this idiot. Your words are honestly useless to me. However. . ." He backed up, switching his attention to the bison mask wearing man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope, reaching inside, he searched through what looked to be photos, pulling out one and waving it to Geoff. "The guy you described to me, it couldn't be him, could it?" The Bison stepped forward, getting a good look before nodding. "Yeah, Boss. That's him." Ryan was curious, but also frightened. They had Gavin's photo? This wasn't good for either of them.

 

As if reading his mind, The Wolf knelt down, showing Ryan the photo as well. "So this is the guy you did all this for? This boring looking lanky kid?" The Vagabond stared at the picture, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The photo he had was the same one he saw inside Gavin's dresser, the one with the Brit and his ex-boyfriend standing next to each other. The look of surprise on his face was enough for the leader to understand what he wanted to ask next. "You want to know how I got this, right? You really haven't figured it out yet? And here I thought you were supposed to be smart." He finished off his point by saying, "I've had to kill only a few of my own members so far, and the last time I had to do so was because of this idiot." Once he had said that, Ryan stared at the picture for a good long while before he remembered what Gavin had told him before. Michael was gunned down by a man wearing a wolf mask. That guy in a wolf mask, his leader, killed Michael. It couldn't be what he was thinking, could it? There was no way something like that was possible.

 

Again, it seemed like his boss read his mind as he continued. "That's right, Vagabond-- _Ryan_ , your boyfriend's ex was part of this gang a couple years ago. Don't you remember him?" He did now. . .that brown jacket popped up into his mind. Brown jacket. . .bear mask. . .he remembered him clear as day, now. Ryan was just rising in rank when some newbie joined wearing a bear mask, calling himself "Mogar", which he thought was a silly name at the time, but the more he saw Mogar in action, the more he thought it kind of fit. The two never really saw eye-to-eye, but in all honesty he had to admit they were more like frienemies than anything else. Sure, they would fight sometimes, especially because Mogar would scream over every little thing anyone did and it drove Ryan up the wall, but they shared quite a few things in common and even went as far as going out some nights to cause trouble together. But one night he suddenly stopped seeing him around, and just figured he had quit. He had no idea he was killed. So this whole time. . .Michael had been Mogar. He couldn't believe he hadn't pieced that together sooner.

 

The Wolf put the photo back into his pocket and stood to his feet, pacing around the room as he explained. "About two years ago, this young boy came to me, because he had heard about my gang and wanted to be part of it. I had no idea why, since it seemed like he was just an ordinary kid. But he showed me his talents with blades and the fire in his eyes really sparked my interests, so I let him joined. I of course told him about our policy of only wearing masks and using fake code names, and I should be the only one to ever know what his face looks like. I explained to him it was imperative that no one else know who you are, and to never reveal any information about the gang to anyone. He agreed, and the next night he returned to me with a bear mask and his gang name, "Mogar." I liked his style a lot, and he was one of my favourites, much like you were as well. But then a year slipped by, and he came to me one night and explained his sad situation. You see, it turned out that this young boy fell in love with his best friend and he wanted to start getting serious with him, and he was certain he couldn't do that with a dark secret like being in a gang. So he asked to resign. However. . ." He paused in his story, and with what seemed like lightening speed, he appeared in front of Ryan, the eye holes of his mask were right up against his face, and thanks to the small amount of light, he was able to see right into the mask, right into his eyes. Those eyes were fierce, full of blissful blood lust and devoid of empathy. "No one leaves this place unless I allow it!"

 

He backed up from The Vagabond, chuckling to himself before he continued. "He wasn't happy about me rejecting his offer, though, and he even went as far as threatening me, saying he would rat me and my members out to the police. So what do you think I did?" He stared down at Ryan, as if he was waiting for him to answer, but never received one; he wasn't about to play The Wolf's childish game. The leader shouted in a loud and crazed tone as he whipped a gun from his pocket, pointing it directly at The Vagabond's head. "I SHOT HIM STRAIGHT IN THE MOTHERFUCKING HEAD!" He followed it up with a long and drawn out cackle, one that reminded Ryan of when he had snapped fully. This man was insane, and he could tell there wasn't much humanity left in him. Why hadn't he realized it before? Perhaps this is the side of the leader you only see when you disobey him. It was a frightening thing to experience, that much he would admit. "And that is how I got his mask as a souvenir, but not only that, this photo he was carrying with him. I dumped his body out by the dumpster and left him for someone else to find. Fortunately for me, someone found him before I could dispose of him." He turned his gaze to Geoff. "And that's where my "witness" came into play. This gentleman in the suit just happened to be passing by on his way home from work when he caught me. He informed the police that a man wearing a wolf mask had killed this man, and I made sure to let him know that the man who was murdered was a criminal. I couldn't have anyone thinking I went around killing innocent people, now could I? After that, I got a munch better rep after my persona was released to the public. That was part of the reason the gang began to get more and more recognition. They tried to hunt me down many times, but no one succeeded. The justice system is a joke, after all.

 

But who would have thought that after seeing the carnage I left behind, you would end up joining me? Perhaps you have a deeper sinister side than I thought, Bison." Once he was finished, Geoff shrugged casually and replied back. "Actually, to be honest with you, I joined because I was bored and wanted some entertainment. But, also because I wanted to eventually find out more information about the guy who killed Gavin's ex and I wanted to somehow use it to my advantage to get him to bend to my will. Unfortunately for me, this little dickhead got in the way and stole my chance to use that British dumbass. All those years I let him work for me were wasted because of you." The Bison stared The Vagabond down, and he could feel his hatred through the mask. "Why. . ." Ryan muttered. "Why Gavin, though? Why not anyone else? Why did it have to be him?" Geoff scoffed in return. "I could honestly ask you the same question. But, does it really matter at this point? I told you before, I saw him first. And you trespassed into my territory." Ryan's head was swimming. This was so much information to take in all at once, and none of it made any sense to him. How could this all be connected? He couldn't understand any of it. Does that stupid thing called "fate" really exist? He never believed in it, until. . .He paused his thoughts, those words were similar to the beginning of the speech he prepared for Gavin. He suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart. Gavin. . .would he ever see him again? Would he ever be able to tell him his feelings now?

 

The Wolf knelt down in front of Ryan, again seemingly reading his mind. "I know it's confusing, but don't worry about it too much. Honestly, I'm tired of all this talk, and I want to see blood. It's the only way it's going to make me feel better. Really what I should do is kill you for breaking so many rules, especially the two big ones, and then go kill your lover because he seems to be the root of a lot of problems for me. However, since you have always been one of my top five favourite members, I'm feeling generous. I'll give you the choice of which one I take out. So choose, should I kill that Brit, or should I kill you?" What. . .? Was that really a question he was asking? He was giving him a chance to walk out of here alive, so why wouldn't he choose to save himself? No. . .that was the old Ryan, that's what The Vagabond would have chose. But he's no longer The Vagabond, he's James Ryan Haywood, the man who fell hard for a man named Gavin Free, the one man in the world who made him into a normal human. He would have jumped on the chance to sacrifice someone else to save his own life before, but now, he didn't even have to think twice about it before he answered. "Kill me."

 

Part of him couldn't believe what he was saying. He just told someone to kill him, what was he, an idiot? Of course he was. But he was an idiot who had someone he cared for more than himself, and that alone made him feel like it was worth dying for. Gavin was worth dying for, there were no doubts about it. It was fitting, after all, and he knew he deserved it for all those lives he ended. He lived a lot of his life as someone who wasn't even human, but to at least be able to die feeling human is all he could ever ask for. And, to be able to save someone precious to him was an added bonus. He didn't need to think twice about his decision, he was ready for the consequences of his actions as both part of that gang, and also part of being a criminal. He was content with his choice. The Wolf sighed and shook his head. "I never thought it would have to come to this, me having to kill off one of the best men I have ever had. It's a shame, really, you could have avoided this whole situation if you would have just kept your nose out of places it didn't belong. But, always the rule hater Vagabond just had to go and get a heart, didn't he?" He then cocked the gun in his hand and pointed it directly at Ryan's chest. "I never did like cliches, but perhaps I will end you by shooting you in the heart, since that's pretty much what your precious lover has done to you. Ironic, isn't it? Well, how about it, then, do you wish to say anything before I call this meeting to an end?"

 

Ryan stared down at the ground for the longest time, not moving, not speaking. His life was coming to an end, yet the only thing that was on his mind was Gavin. There was a chill that ran down his spine, and he wasn't sure if it was the dropping temperature that caused it, or the knowledge that he would soon part from this world for good. He had just one regret; not that he showed Gavin his face, but that he was not able to tell him how he truly felt for him. He let his surroundings fade away, he was no longer in a dusty old shed with his gang members surrounding him, pointing a gun towards him, but instead he was standing in front of a small British boy about ten years young than him. It was just the two of them, alone together in Gavin's apartment. He opened his mouth and began to speak as he closed his eyes, his voice coming out in a silky smooth tone, despite the amount of pain he was in.

 

"When we first met, I didn't believe in love, let alone love at first sight, if you can believe that. I also didn't believe in fate, or destiny. And yet, the more time I spent with you, the more I began to believe in silly little things like those. I wish I had realized it sooner, that I was beginning to grow soft for you from the second time we met. I denied my feelings, and I tried to bury them away with who I really was. But, by some miracle, you brought them to the surface. I no longer believe it was simply coincidence that we kept finding each other, I believe it was meant to happen, and I believe we were meant to seek each other out and fall in love. I think I understood that after reeling in my inner turmoil, and sorting out my confusion. I thought about you all the time, and not a day went by that you weren't on my mind. I even went as far as dreaming about you. I couldn't deny my emotions any longer, and I could no longer act like a heartless and emotionless person. I'm a human, after all, but more than that, you have helped me become more of one. I will forever be grateful for the time and effort you put into molding me into a better person, even if it wasn't your intention, even if you did not mean for that to be the case. My life was like a blanket of darkness surrounding my entire being, and your personality and your heart opened the curtains to my soul and became the light that I was desperately searching for. You're the light of my life, and I never thought I would say that to anyone, let alone mean it fullheartedly. Everything about you makes me smile with joy every day; your laughter, your silly puns, your dumb but charming personality, even the way you act smug even when it's not called for. I cherish each and everyone of those unique things that make you, you. I not only wanted to tell you this because I care for you deeply, but I also wanted to thank you for being in my life. You saved me from myself and my inner demons, and I will forever be grateful that I have you by my side. . . I realized too quickly that I needed you in my life, and those feelings only grew deeper when I thought I had lost you forever. I never want to experience that again; I want to keep you safe and continue being with you for the rest of my life, if you would do me the honours of allowing me to. If destiny really does exist, I know I have found mine, you-- you're my destiny. Gavin Free. . .Nothing in this world would make me a happier man, than if you would agree to be mine forever."

 

He reached the point where he would have pulled out the ring and gave it to him, but he was unable to move his arms, so he had to skip that part. His head tilted upwards as he stared at the ceiling, imagining that he was looking up at the sky as he took Gavin's hands in his own as they shared a moment of watching the twinkling lights above. He loved the way the stars shone in Gavin's emerald eyes, so full of life, so full of love, for him. . .Tears were brimming the one good eye he had open, but he barely noticed; he felt numb to reality. And then finally. . .finally he would finished with the one phrase he longed to utter to the man he loved more than anyone, the man he was giving his life for. With a heavy heart, yet swollen with nothing but tenderness and admiration for the Brit, he opened his mouth once again. "Gavin. . .I lo--" A shot rang out, echoing into the cold and bitter night. The warmth of the spring was slowly being drained, much like the warmth of the body that once belonged to the man known as The Vagabond, the man named James Ryan Haywood.


	13. Requiem

Sunlight broke through the shrouded darkness that covered the city as Los Santos began to awaken from its slumber. It was no different for the green eyed Brit that slowly came out of his unconscious state. His eyes slid open and peered at the face in front of him, finding himself locked tightly in the arms of his lover. He couldn't help the tired smile that spread across his face; it was the first night the two spent together and it was rather enjoyable. Gavin's heart felt full of love and excitement at that time, being able to wake up next to someone he loved and cherished so dearly. He felt extremely lucky to have someone like him. He stared at Ryan's sleeping face and thought how cute and peaceful he looked; he didn't want to disturb him, so he carefully wiggled himself out of the firm grasp the other had on him and was able to successfully slip out without so much as making the older man stir in his sleep. Once he was up and out of bed, he gave a quiet yawn and a stretch of his arms before he took off into the kitchen, his stomach telling him he needed food.

 

As he made his way to the kitchen, he began to wonder what he could make that Ryan would also like to eat. He never really asked him what kinds of food he enjoyed, but watching him while they were out gave him some ideas: everything. Gavin figured Ryan would just enjoy whatever he made, so he decided on what he was craving at that moment, which was pasta. He made a move to reach up for a pot when his phone suddenly began to vibrate on the kitchen table. No one really called him this early, so he was curious as to who it was. With only a few seconds to waste, he picked up his phone and read out the number: it was his boss. Nervously, he pressed the "answer" button and held it up to his ear. "'Ello." He greeted to the man on the other line. He waited a moment until Geoff's voice sounded. "Good morning, Gavin. I apologize if I woke you up. I know you don't come in until later tonight, but would you mind coming over as soon as you can? There's something I'd like to talk to you about. It's important." Gavin looked at the clock, noticing it was around 11 in the morning. It was early, but not that early. So he agreed. "Yeah. I can come in. I'll be there in about half an hour." He ended the call and looked back at his bedroom. He was really looking forward to giving Ryan a good morning kiss as soon as he woke up, but he figured he could give him one once he got home from that little impromptu meeting.

 

Gavin made his way back to the room to get dressed, being careful to be as quiet as he could; he really didn't want to wake Ryan up, who knows what he was like when he was disturbed out of his sleep. He picked out his normal outfit: blue button up, blue jeans. He then pondered if he should leave Ryan a note. That was silly, right? He could just text him and Ryan will see it once he wakes up. However, Gavin just remembered he tried texting him on the way to the beach and didn't get an answer at all, so maybe he forgot his phone? Bloody tit. He will just have to stick with the old fashion note instead, then. He supposed it sounded a little fun anyway. With minimum noise, Gavin slid open his dresser drawer and pulled out a single piece of paper and a pen. He wrote Ryan's name largely before writing the body out. "My boss called me and asked to come in so he could talk to me. I didn't want to wake you up, and since you forgot your phone at your house, I had no other choice but to leave you a note. So thanks, Wanker. I'll be home later tonight, depending on what it is he needs to talk to me about. Probably something bad, but oh well! See you later!" He stared down at the paper for awhile before he smiled widely, adding, "Love ya!" at the end and setting the pen down. He felt like a complete teenager, but he didn't care. Before rushing out the door, he made sure to give his sleeping boyfriend a gentle kiss on the forehead as sort of an investment for the real one he'll give him later, and then he was out the door.

 

As the Brit drove closer to his work place, he began to feel nervous. Geoff rarely ever called him in for a meeting, so it was kind of scary to think of what he could need to talk to him about. Whatever it was, he had a feeling it was nothing good. Either way, he was just looking to get it over with and go back home so he could eat. Parking into his reserved spot, Gavin shut the car off and locked it up; Ryan had been getting on his case about doing that. Once he was sure it was secured, he made his way into the office. As usual, everyone avoided eye contact with him as if he were some weirdo. He didn't care before, and he cared even less at that moment in time; he was more focused on getting the meeting over with. A few steps down the hall and as if on cue, Geoff strolled up to Gavin with a large, characteristic grin on his face. "Glad you could make it, Gavin. Why don't we step into my office for a little chat?" Looking around the area, the Brit noticed it was only the two of them, which made him even more worried about what was about to come from this. Of course, he nodded in response and followed his manager into the room, the door being shut behind him and a seat being offered. Gavin sat down on the all but comfortable chair; which didn't help the fact that he was already feeling stiff with nerves, and then stared forward, waiting for Geoff to speak first and start the conference.

 

Geoff settled down at his desk and folded his hands on top of the wooden surface, much like the typical "this is serious business" action people use. Gavin listened closely as he began to speak. "It's come to my attention recently that you haven't been focused at all on your work. I let it go for awhile, considering the events that occurred recently. But you need to realize that you not doing your job is starting to cost me money. I'm sorry, but I can't baby you forever and excuse this behavior. I need you to be productive or else this isn't going to work out. I'm really sorry, Gavin. But I have more than half a mind to let you go right now." The brunette stared in disbelief and shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he was going to be fired? He didn't realize that he was being that unproductive the past few months. He had to say something to be able to save his job, he needed it. "Is that right? I wasn't really aware of how badly I've been doing. Please give me another chance to prove I can do better." He sounded a little more desperate than intended, and had a feeling that would come back and bite him in the ass.

 

The older man eyed him up, his face not changing a bit as he replied, "I know you need this job, which is why I am willing to try to negotiate with you. If you do, then perhaps I will change my mind." Gavin was eager to agree, nodding his head quickly. "Very good. Then may I suggest we move this somewhere else? Say, your house?" The brunette suddenly had a sinking feeling when his boss mentioned going to his house, what could he possibly gain from doing that? "Why my house?" He asked curiously, and with a slight tremble in his tone. Geoff merely shrugged and responded with, "I just feel it would make things go over smoothly, wouldn't you agree? I want you in your safe haven when we discuss something serious like this. Being in a small and cramped office surely is making you nervous. So why don't we head on out?" With that, Geoff stood to his feet, seemingly not giving Gavin much of a choice. Reluctantly, the Brit followed behind him and agreed to show Geoff where he lived, anything to save his job. Without much else to say, Gavin got into his car while Geoff got into his, and he began to travel back home, his nerves still not settling down any. He lead his boss down a couple streets, the other man trailing close behind. He peaked up into his rear view mirror, but regretted it instantly. He hadn't meant to meet Geoff's eyes directly, but when their eyes met, Gavin could clearly see something sinister brewing inside his brain, and that unsettling grin wasn't helping him calm down at all. He took a deep breath and tried to drive the rest of the way calmly.

 

As the two neared Gavin's house, the Brit began to feel his stomach tightening. Sure, he was nervous about where Geoff was heading with his request to come to his house, but he also just realized something: Ryan's still at his house. If Geoff sees him, there could possibly be trouble, maybe even more fighting. Gavin didn't want to risk that. He stopped just shy of opening his door, key in hand and pointed at the key hole. He suddenly turned to Geoff, saying "Hey, um, Geoff? Do you mind waiting out here for just a moment? I can't remember the state of my house when I left, and I want to make sure that it's cleaned up before you see it. You know, gotta be professional and all that." He stared his boss down, waiting for him to answer. Geoff looked at him with a slight suspicious face, but soon answered him. "Whatever you need to do." The brunette nearly sighed in relief when the other man didn't question him. With haste, and only a slight slip of his hand, Gavin finished unlocking his door before closing it behind himself, leaving Geoff standing outside waiting. Once he was inside, he made his way to the bedroom quickly, peeking inside and finding it empty. There was slight disappointment he felt when he saw Ryan wasn't around, but he wasn't sure where it came from. He shook it off and took a look around every room just to be on the safe side. Being certain his boyfriend was no where to be found, he decided it was safe enough to let Geoff in. He went back to the front door and opened it up, revealing a rather calm and content looking tattooed man. The look he was sporting made the Brit feel even more sick with nerves. The feeling didn't waver as the two stepped inside.

 

His boss looked around his home, seemingly taking in every detail before his eyes stopped on the door to the bedroom. "Small house. I take it the bedroom is this way? Why don't we move this conversation in there. I want you to be comfortable." That made Gavin even more suspicious, and he started to get a bad feeling in his gut. Geoff had always been a weird man, but surely he couldn't be that weird, right? He'd have to keep his guard up, that's all. Everything should be fine. He didn't question his request, opting to follow him into his bedroom. Geoff sat down on the bed, getting himself comfortable as he instructed Gavin to follow him. The Brit did, trying to sit as far as he could from the older man. "So, what exactly are we doing here?" Gavin began, but Geoff had no intention of answering him, instead he went straight back to the conversation they were having at the office. "Now, Gavin, I understand you are trying your best to prove to me you are capable, but I see little reason to trust that. I am, however, a generous man, and I may have a solution to this dilemma. If you're really interested in keeping your job, then I suggest you listen closely to me, because I may offer you something that could very well save your position." Once he took a pause in his statement, Gavin took that chance to question him. "And what exactly is that?" There was a moment of stillness before the black-haired man suddenly sprang into action, and Gavin suddenly found himself shoved onto his back with his boss pressed up against his body. He opened his mouth to speak, but Geoff's lips forcefully clasped against his own. The Brit wanted to lift himself up and away from Geoff, but the other man held him firmly down against the bed; his wrists being restrained by two strong hands. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach, knowing full well what his boss had in mind, and he didn't like it one bit.

 

The more Gavin tried to struggle, the more Geoff held him tighter until the pressure began to hurt. He then trailed a hand down to the Brit's thigh, giving it a firm squeeze before positioning him so that Geoff's pelvis was pressed up closer to his hips. Gavin could already feel his boss's hard-on nudging his inner thigh and it made him want to gag. Flashbacks of the first night he and Michael had sex were brought up. He felt very similar to how he was feeling right now; vulnerable, weak, powerless, like he's nothing but just a toy. He didn't want to feel like that again; Ryan showed him what it meant to truly be loved, and this wasn't being loved, this was being used. With the little bit of strength he could muster up, he shoved Geoff by the shoulders hard enough for him to stop and look down at him for just a moment. Gavin took the chance to speak. "I apologize, Sir, but I am going to have to decline your advances, for I already have a lover." Damn his Britishness, he couldn't find it in him to tell him what he really wanted to say, "fuck off you twat!" But instead went with something totally nonthreatening, and hoping it would do the trick. He had a feeling that it wouldn't.

 

He was right, it didn't work. Instead of stopping, Geoff scoffed and grabbed a hold of the brunette's neck, beginning to choke him hard enough to leave marks. "Does it really look like I give a shit? Your punk boyfriend isn't here to stop me this time. So I'd thank you to shut up and let me finish what I started months ago." Once he was finished speaking, he continued his attack on the tan skin beneath him, biting down on his ear before using his free hand to rip off the buttons of Gavin's shirt, leaving his chest bare. He then trailed his rough bites down from his lobe to his chest where he left deep and distinguished marks along the collar bone, all the while keeping a tight grip on his throat. Gavin tried to squirm, kick, gasp for air, everything to try to get his boss to release him, but it was to no avail. His adrenaline was beginning to kick up into overdrive and he was panicking. What could he do? He couldn't take Geoff down, he was too strong for him. Was he able to do nothing but lay there and become a victim to his assault? No, Gavin refused to be weak this time. He hated having to always be saved, always be protected, he would stand up for himself for once. With that in mind, his eyes began to dart around the room, searching for anything he could use to fight back with, anything at all he could reach.

 

His sights landed on a small black oddly shaped object laying on his desk, and he recognized what it was immediately: a pocketknife. He had seen Ryan take it out many time and show him neat tricks with it. With his strength quickly draining from his body, he knew it was now or never to grab it and use it to his advantage. So with all his might, he reached up towards the dresser, having to drag Geoff just a few inches along with him across the bed so he could reach it, but he was able to snatch it up quickly. His brain barely had time to wonder how to open it before he somehow instinctual hit the mechanism just right so that a blade popped out. He didn't want to hurt Geoff, just scare him off, so he stuck the sharp end against Geoff's chest, causing the older man to halt in his act at the feeling of something lightly stabbing against his body. He was quick to look down at the source, and Gavin glared at him with intense hatred. "Back off, or I will not hesitate to stab you." Even though his boss looked furious and like he wanted nothing more than to bash Gavin's head in, he did as he was told and backed up off him and slipping off the bed, holding his hands up as if he was just caught by the police. "Shit, since when did you carry a weapon on you? I would say I was impressed if I didn't feel like killing you right now." Gavin proved he was serious by holding the knife tighter in his hand, pointing it straight up towards the tattooed man. He didn't have to say a single word for him to understand what he meant.

 

Geoff in return backed up more, shouting "alright, alright! I get it, goddamn." Gavin watched as his eyes went from the knife, straight to something on the dresser. Gavin wasn't about to let his guard down, though, so he kept his eyes glued to Geoff, not letting him out of his sights until he knew it was safe to. The older man's face seemed to become more agitated, and eventually he snapped his attention back towards the Brit. "If you don't leave that sorry excuse for a psychopath soon, you're going to regret it. Don't let history repeat itself, Gavin." Then, he turned his back to the brunette, storming out of the room and out of the apartment, back into his car and driving off to who knows where. With him out of sight, Gavin let out a sigh and sat the knife down on the bed, his heart still racing quick in his chest. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened if he had let Geoff have his way. He was lucky he had Ryan's pocketknife so close by. Looking down at the weapon, he couldn't help but smile slightly. Even when Ryan wasn't there, he still somehow managed to save him. He began to really miss his boyfriend, wanting nothing more than to just text him and ask him to come over and comfort him, but he figured there would be no point in making Ryan worry about him when it was barely anything to talk about. Besides, if Ryan knew Geoff made a pass at him, he might have to help him bury Geoff's body later. And he wasn't feeling up to digging up a grave at that moment.

 

Suddenly he remembered that Geoff seemed to be triggered by something that was on his dresser, so he stood up to go investigate. On the surface of the dresser he quickly spotted a black skull mask laying next to a sheet of paper. Ryan must have forgotten his mask when he left his house. What Geoff said had him wondering, though. What did he mean by he would regret it? And that history would repeat itself? It made no sense, but somehow it seemed like that mask was connected to something he just wasn't understanding, and he had to be honest, he didn't want to know. He's more than aware that Ryan is harboring a deep and dark secret that he is refusing to share, but Gavin figures if he's trying so hard to hide it, then it must be something he's better off not knowing.

 

Next to the mask was a note, which he assumed at first was the note he left earlier, but upon further inspection was actually a new one that Ryan had written for him. He picked it up and read it. "Gavin, I meant to give it to you last night but forgot, just like I forgot my phone. I wanted you to have my lucky pocketknife. I'll teach you how to use it eventually. See you later tonight." After he was finished, he opened the drawer and placed the note inside, smiling to himself. His boyfriend was weird, but he was also lovable. He would have to be sure to thank him later on whenever Ryan had access to his phone again, which the Brit hoped would be soon, he was desperately missing him.

 

Even though they were only words on a piece of paper, Ryan's words calmed his nerves enough to allow him to relax. He laid down in bed and stared at the wall, wondering what he was going to do now. He certainly couldn't go back to work. Should he go to the police about what Geoff did? Probably wouldn't do him any good, anyway. Ultimately he decided to just let it go and adopted the idea of trying to find a new job soon. He knew that was his only choice. With that settled in his mind, Gavin's next thoughts were on what he could do until his boyfriend got around to contacting him. Turned out that dilemma was harder to solve than the first one. He decided on playing on his phone for a couple hours, getting wrapped up in playing some stupid popular game about matching candies in a row. At first he wasn't expecting to be into it, but after about 50 levels, he couldn't seem to put it down. While in the middle of his game, his phone suddenly dinged at him, telling him he got a message from Ryan. The candies were instantly the last of his priorities; that little girl that kept insisting he continue the level could wait.

 

Clicking over to his messages, he saw that Ryan had apologized for forgetting his phone, and also let him know that he would be back around 10 pm. The brunette was happy to hear that he would be back, even though it was really late. He'd take whatever he could get. He was quick to respond with, "Top. By the way, got the knife you left. Weirdo." He of course said it with love, but wasn't sure if the message relayed as such. As the night went on and Gavin eagerly waited for 10 to arrive, he and Ryan texted back and forth, mostly idle conversation and talking about random things they did during the day. Things got a little flirty at one point, but nothing too serious. After hours had flown by, Ryan told him he was on his way around 9:30 and that he would be there soon. Gavin didn't hear back from him after that, assuming he wasn't able to text and walk for whatever reason, but he didn't complain since he knew he'd be able to see him in real life soon enough. Eventually the clock struck 9:45 pm, and Gavin knew that soon Ryan would show up, so he quickly cleaned up the place and took a quick shower, changing his clothes, and then waited. By time he was finished, it was a little past 10 pm, but he saw no signs of his lover. He figured he was just running late, so he wasn't too worried about it. He checked his phone for any texts from him, but could find none. He decided to shoot him a message asking how much longer he would be. He practically stared his phone down for a solid ten minutes without any reply. He began to feel a pang of worry in his chest. Maybe Ryan just forgot his phone when he left?

 

Gavin swallowed down his own lie and gave it another twenty minutes before he was standing to his feet and grabbing his shoes and car keys. There's no way Ryan would take that long just to walk to his house to Gavin's. It usually only took him about half an hour. So something had to be wrong. Maybe he got lost on the way? Thinking about his poor boyfriend wandering the streets alone and lost made Gavin feel terrible. Then he remembered exactly who he was talking about, and knew that Ryan would be able to take care of himself. Even so, memories of the night he snapped and attacked Geoff came flooding into his brain. He didn't want a repeat of that night to ever happen again. He would have to at least try to find Ryan before it was too late. So with haste, Gavin slipped his shoes on, ran out the door with his keys, and hopped into his car, not giving it much time to even warm up before he peeled out of the driveway and into the streets of Los Santos.

 

There weren't many pedestrians out that late, but every person that past he got a good look at, expecting any one of them to be the man he was looking for. He knew not to look for a skull mask, since he knew Ryan didn't have it on him, but he still couldn't help but expect to see someone wearing a skull mask appear from around the corner. As far as he knew, Ryan could have a spare one at his house or something. Gavin wouldn't put it past him. However, the few people he came across didn't resemble the man he knew and loved at all, and there were no signs of him. No signs of any fights, either. As he drove past a particular alley, he slowed down, squinting hard down the darken passage way, but could barely make anything out. He knew he could have abandoned his car for a moment and walked into the alley, but he found himself too frightened to attempt such a risky act. So instead he opted to listen for any signs that his lover might be near by. Of course, the results turned up negative. No physical evidence to be had as to the whereabouts of Ryan. It didn't seem like he was anywhere to be seen in the city, and Gavin was sure he checked everywhere he could think of. If only he knew where Ryan lived, he could have gone and checked to see if he was still at home. Maybe he just forgot and fell asleep? No, that's a stupid idea considering that he texted Gavin right before he left. The only explanation he could come up with was that he had gotten lost, even though Gavin knew that was also unlikely since he had walked to his house many times before. He just didn't want to think of the possibility that something bad happened to him, so he tried to push that idea away and instead continued to look for him for about an hour longer. However, he still turned up nothing, and eventually he was beginning to run out of gas. So he decided to give up and go back home.

 

On his way back home, he spotted someone up in the distance. They looked shady, wearing a purple hoodie with the hood up, a beanie obscuring his face so Gavin couldn't see what he looked like. He appeared to just be standing there, staring. At what, though? Who cares, just some weirdo. There were lots of people that that. He didn't have time to worry about him, though, he just wanted to get home and find out what had happened to his lover.

 

The thought of something bad happening to Ryan kept creeping up in his head like a monster lurking in the dark, and nothing was able to keep it under control. As he parked his car and headed back inside, he tried to calm himself down. He kept telling himself that it was Ryan, and he was able to handle things a lot better than Gavin could. There was no way anything bad could happen to someone as tough and smart as him. The Brit settled down into bed, holding his phone up to his face and staring at his messages, hoping desperately to see a new text from Ryan. But as expected, there were none. Perhaps in the morning his boyfriend will let him know why he didn't show up and he will explain this mysterious situation. At least Gavin hoped so. Placing his phone down, the brunette closed his eyes and attempted to get some sleep, even though the panicked and distressed feelings kept weighing in his chest.

 

The next morning hit Gavin like a ton of bricks, and he woke up a lot earlier than he was used to waking up. His eyes burned and felt heavy as he cracked them open and gazed up at his digital clock. He felt like sleep barely touched him before he was rudely awaken by nothing in particular, at 6 in the morning no less. Even though he was drowsy and half asleep, he instinctually reached for his phone and turned it on, checking to see if he got any notifications. Unfortunately, he didn't. He sent a quick text to Ryan again, asking him if he was okay. If he didn't answer the first one, why would he answer that one? Gavin wasn't sure, but he couldn't help but send the message out of desperation to understand what was going on. It was unlike his boyfriend to leave him hanging like that and just not bother telling him why. It was a helpless and powerless situation for Gavin to be in, and he didn't like it, but he also understood he could do nothing about it until he heard back from him. After sending the message, he made an attempt to fall back asleep, but only managed to get another broken two hours of rest.

 

The second time he had woken up, he decided to just stay awake and start his day. Getting up off the bed, he sauntered to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen to grab a granola bar. He wasn't particularly in the mood to eat, but his stomach was churning with pain from barely eating the past 24 hours. Once he was slightly satisfied, he sat down at the kitchen table with his phone on the top of the table, staring down at it like some kind of nut. Still no reply from Ryan. He didn't want to keep worrying about what was going on, so he tried to take his mind off it by scrolling through the news feed on his phone. He did that every once in awhile just to keep up with what was going on in his home town. Nothing good usually came out of it, seeing as how most of the forums were about murder and gang related activity. His eyes lazily glanced at the titles, only stopping for the ones that seemed interesting, which were none. That is, until he stopped on one news feed. "Man Thought to Be the Infamous Vagabond Found Dead." He stared for a long while at the title, reading it over and over. Surely this "Vagabond" couldn't be referring to Ryan, could it? Maybe lots of people go by that nickname in this city. Somehow he highly doubted it.

 

Clicking on the article, his heart sank as he read on. "Earlier this morning, at around 5:35 am, the body of a man was found near the city line streets. Investigation of the surrounding area is being conducted, but the condition of the body and the circumstances surrounding it brought police to the conclusion that the body belonged to a violent gang member known as The Vagabond. Little detail is known about the case at this due time. Autopsy analysis are being conducted to find more information regarding the death and identity. The victim did not have the infamous mask he is known for, but rather was wearing the same black and blue jacket The Vagabond is frequently seen in. The height and stature also match up." There was a little bit more to read, but Gavin didn't need to continue after that. It certainly sounded like they were talking about Ryan. But that was impossible, Ryan isn't a violent gang member. Even so, as the Brit had that thought, half of his brain actually accepted that to be fact. After all, it certainly made sense and answered a lot of questions. The idea of Ryan being dead more than anything else was what Gavin couldn't accept. He couldn't let this go, he had to see for himself if it were true. Until then, he refused to believe that it was real. The man they found isn't his lover, it was just someone copying his style and using his icon as a means to do evil. He was convinced that was the truth.

 

Not wanting to waste any time in solving this mystery, he was quick in getting ready to run out the door and to his car. He felt like it was only hours before that he was doing the same thing, rushing out the door to try to find his boyfriend. But now somehow things felt different. He could very well be running straight into what he feared the most: finding Ryan dead. He kept telling himself it was just a lie, that it was impossible. Either way, he knew soon enough he would get to the bottom of it one way or another. Jumping into his car, he looked up the directions to the nearest morgue in hopes that he would be able to see the body for himself and confirm his suspicions. He locked the map on his GPS and started his journey. While he drove, his eyes bore holes into the streets before him, not really taking in anything, but just kind of looking and watching. He felt scared, his head was swimming with anticipation and panic. But he tried to keep himself calm. Try being the key word.

 

The closest one was only a couple miles from his house, so it didn't take him long to reach his destination. Once he was parked in the parking lot, the Brit got out of the car, staring up at the surprisingly small building. On his way towards the building, he noticed two things, one, that there were a couple police men standing around the entrance, and two. . .was that guy standing behind that tree staring at him? Come to think of it, he looked exactly like that guy from the night before. Purple hoodie, beanie covering his face. Was he stalking him, or was it coincidence? Gavin didn't have time to pay him any mind, he was more worried about the cops, thinking maybe getting inside was going to be harder than he thought. He really didn't want to cause any trouble, but he would have to if he wanted to find the answers he was looking for. He started his walk towards the entrance, holding his breath and eyeing the police men out of the corner of his eyes. He expected them to stop him and ask what business he had there, but to his surprise they didn't. They just ignored him and kept talking as Gavin opened up the doors and walked inside. That was easier than he thought. But then again, he never visited a morgue before so he had no idea how exactly everything worked. Once inside, he looked around for any sign of someone who might know what he wanted to ask. Before he could ask anything, though, a woman in a long lab coat approached him.

 

"Hello, Sir." She greeted him with a warm smile, which Gavin thought was odd for someone who worked around dead bodies all the time. He smiled back at her and greeted her back with as much politeness he could muster up. "Are you here to see a loved one?" She asked him. Was it really that simple? Could you just walk in and ask to see dead bodies? It reminded him much like a hospital, just walk in and visit your family member, just this time they happen to be dead. He wanted to reply to her that he was indeed there to see a loved one, but then he remembered the circumstances he was in. He shook his head quickly. "No, Ma'am! I'm actually here to. .confirm the identity of an unknown body." She didn't seem confused over his statement and merely kept her professional smile before replying. "Alright, and which one would that be?" After she had asked, Gavin reached into his pocket and took out his phone, showing her the news article. "This guy." Once he had shown her, she looked at him with a skeptical look. "And who exactly are you?" Uh-oh. She must think he's just some jokester out to cause trouble for the news station or something. Gavin's eyes quickly darted around, thinking of anything he could say or do to prove to her that he was serious. He then came up with an idea.

 

"Well, you see, I was one of his victims." He proved his point by unbuttoning his shirt enough so she could see the scar plastered over his chest. "I was attacked by The Vagabond one night, but while he had me in his clutches I was able to unmask him and get a good look at his face. I was able to get away alive, but I was so scared that he would find me again that I didn't go to the police about what he looked like. I'm sure you have heard about it in the paper. I was the guy who saved Geoff Ramsey, my boss, from being killed by The Vagabond." Once he completed his story, the woman seemed satisfied, even going so far as to give him a surprised look. "So you were the man I heard about. Wow, you must have gone through so much, you poor thing." He nodded weakly, tilting his head downwards and staring at the floor. "Yes, it was traumatic. I want to make sure it's really him, for peace of mind's sake, you know?" He hoped his lie was convincing enough to fool her. He gazed back up at the doctor as she nodded and instructed him to follow her. "Of course. Any leads we could get from a first hand encounter would be very helpful for us, as well."

 

The entire time leading up to this moment, it didn't seem real to Gavin. But as he neared the door the doctor lead him to, it slowly began to sink in that this was real. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to see. As they walked in, the first thing Gavin noticed was the drop in temperature. It felt like he was in a freezer. He also noticed it was quiet and still, despite two men standing over a body as if they were simply doing surgery. Gavin wondered if that body was the one in question, but he couldn't get a good look at it due to one of the men obscuring his view. All he could see was the chest of the corpse that was sliced open, his ribs on full display and a bit of his lower organs peaking out as if to say hello. He couldn't see much of it, but it was enough to make him want to gag. He avoided looking directly inside the open chest of the dead man and instead focused his eyes on the woman in front of him. He would never be able to get the picture out of his head, though. He was so distracted that he almost missed the woman explaining what was going on to the two men working on the corpse. They seem to buy it almost instantly as the doctor brings Gavin up closer to the man laying down. The pathologist moved to give the Brit a better look at the face. "Get a good look at him and tell us what you think."

 

As the brunette stepped forward, he felt his heart racing like a speeding car, hearing his heartbeat all the way inside his head. His legs felt like they didn't want to move, but he willed himself to step closer. He expected to look at the mug of a man he had never met before, some random stranger that looked nothing like his lover. He was wrong. Laying before him, motionless, pale, void of any sign of life, was the man he grew to love, The Vagabond. The real one. He would never mistake the dirty blonde colour of his hair, the structure of his face, his lips. It all matched perfectly. He was sure it was him, even though he still didn't want to believe it. Seeing Ryan in that state made Gavin feel like he himself was also dead, which he began to wish he was. He didn't notice how long he had been staring at his deceased lover until the doctor spoke up. "Is that him?" Hearing her voice broke Gavin out of his trance, and he realized that in that moment he felt nothing but rage. Rage mostly for the lady before him speaking so casually about his dead lover. She saw him as nothing more than a criminal, just like everyone else, those people are more than likely satisfied to hear of his death. He wanted to do nothing but scream at her and leave, but he kept his composure. He couldn't let himself slip like that.

 

Looking towards her, Gavin replies. "That's not him. That's not The Vagabond. I never seen this man in my life." The three workers looked at each other in question, then one man asked him. "Are you certain? Everything matched up quite obviously." To which Gavin replied, voice almost rising to a yell as he asked the question, "did you find a mask on him? Or anywhere around the scene of the crime?" The pathologist told him there wasn't any mask to be found near the body, but Gavin barely lets him finish. He already knew the answer, anyway. "Then it can't be him, now could it? He always has his mask on him, no matter what. The guy I saw when I unmasked him looked completely different from this bloke. So believe me, this isn't him." After giving his answer, he didn't wait for anyone else to speak before he was out the door in a rush. He didn't want to be in that room anymore, didn't want to be close to Ryan's corpse. He didn't even want to think about it any longer or say the word "dead." He just wanted to go back home and hope it was nothing but a nightmare. The whole day had just been one long dream. None of it happened. He wasn't fired. He didn't almost get raped. Ryan wasn't. . .he wasn't. . .gone. It was just all the stress playing on his brain and causing him to dream these horrible things.

 

If only that were the case. He knew it wasn't. It was all real. His mind was spinning and whirling like a tornado of negative emotions. He was angry, he was in pain, he was regretful. Before he knew it, he was sitting in his car. When did he get there? It was like he blanked out for a moment. By time he even tried to calm himself down, he found himself gripping the steering wheel of his car, staring out the window. What was he doing? What could he do? Could he have done something different? More importantly, how did this happen? Who did this? He didn't know any of the answers to these questions, and he had a feeling like he would never know. Not knowing may be worse than the fact that it happened. Clutching the wheel hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, Gavin closed his eyes tightly, resting his forehead against the wheel. He wanted nothing more than to vanish. Just stop existing. He wanted to reunite with Ryan. He didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to feel this pain of losing another person he loved. It was too much. He thought it had hurt when Michael died, but somehow the second time around it was twice as painful. His chest hurt, it was tight and heavy and he felt like he couldn't breathe. That's when he let out an agonized sob, no longer able to hold it back. It was like releasing a dam, and once he started he couldn't stop. Stream after stream of tears trickled down his cheeks, and he began to shake as he let out quiet hic-ups of suffering. His throat felt like someone was squeezing it shut, and his chest grew so heavy it was as if a ton of bricks were on top of him. Nothing went through his head but the question, "why?"

 

He sat there for God knows how long, before the tears finally stopped simply due to the fact he grew exhausted and his eyes stopped producing tears, and he was left as nothing more than a heap of sniffling and hic-ups. Somehow, in the back of his head, he still couldn't believe it was real. But he knew he was only trying to lie to himself. So many emotions were gathered up in his brain, and he wanted it all to end. Without much thinking, he lifted his head up from the steering wheel and started the car up, backing up out of the parking lot and into the streets, just letting his body take control and do whatever it felt like. What time was it? He didn't really care. It was still day light, that's all he knew. Where was he going? He also didn't care about that. The only place he wanted to go was where Ryan was. Not his body, but his spirit. It was dumb, and childish, but he didn't care. Gavin knew he couldn't go on without his lover by his side. He had no regrets with thinking about just ending his life so he could be with him again. The thought barely crossed his mind, but his body seemed to latch onto that idea and he began to speed the car up to around 60 mph. He knew the town enough to know where the nearest cliff was, and was quick to travel to it.

 

This was stupid, and he wasn't the type of guy to do something like this in the least. Why was he doing it? Why was he contemplating suicide? That's what the rational part of his brain was asking him, but he didn't listen to it. Why should he be alive? His irrational side asked. His life wasn't even worth living, not with how things were going. If he continued, he would just end up miserable and alone and probably would die of heartbreak anyway. This way, it would end faster. He could end his suffering right here and now. That sounded wonderful. No more regrets. No more sadness. No more pain. He could finally breathe again without worrying. He could finally see his love, and even his best friend again. Everyone he cared about was dead, so why not join them? He had no place in the world of the living anymore.

 

Steadily the streets disappeared, and were instead replaced with a dirt path that lead to a place surrounded by mountains. A clearing was coming up, and Gavin barely noticed the warning signs plastered all over the place. He ignored them and continued on. Soon he would be able to feel at peace, and all of the suffering would be gone. With that in mind, he closed his eyes and took his foot off the peddle, letting the car drive itself towards the end. He no longer felt afraid of death, but welcomed it as he neared the end of his life. It would only be a few seconds now before he would feel the earth disappear from under him and instead feel the sensation of falling. The only thing going through his mind was finding relief. Finding comfort.

 

At that moment, a voice shot straight through his head, loud enough that he swore it came from inside the car and not in his head. "Gavin, stop this." The voice was deep and commanding, enough to cause the Brit's eyes to fly open and his foot to slam on the break. The car lurched forward from the force of going nearly 60 to suddenly stopping, lifting him up in the seat and nearly cracking his head against the window. It was good thing he remembered his seat belt. He traveled a few feet before the car finally came to a stop, a mere two feet from going off into the deep abyss that was the bottom of the cliff. The brunette looked around, looking for the source of the voice. But of course, there was no one there. Was that God that spoke to him? No, he was sure it was Ryan's voice. He must be going crazy to be hearing him. But at least whatever weird phenomenon happened was enough for him to snap out of his insane act. He stared out over the edge, he couldn't believe he was just about to willingly drive himself over that and end his life. He must be out of his mind, surely. He looked down at his lap, suddenly filled with sorrow yet again. Would Ryan want something like that? Of course not. And Michael wouldn't either. Neither of them would have wanted Gavin to do something stupid like take his own life. It was a waste, and he knew it was.

 

As he backed up to leave the mountainous area and get back to the road, his brain was beginning to clear up, and he couldn't help but question if perhaps this turn of events did answer something. Maybe now everything leading up to this point began to make sense? Ryan was in a gang the whole time. Then again, Gavin did always have a sneaking suspicion that's what it was, but he chose to ignore it due to the fact that he was so blinded with love. Why else would he always be out at night? He was stalking for prey. Why else would he be so well trained to handle criminals? Because he was one. Why else would he try to hide his identity behind a mask, and be worried to show Gavin his face? Why else would he not want to be seen in public areas? All those questions had one answer that fit perfectly: he was in a gang. It seemed obvious now. But did Gavin care? Of course not. He would have still loved Ryan all the same even knowing he was a criminal. That's just how much he was smitten with affection for him. Did it even matter now? Of course it didn't. Ryan was gone. He was too heartbroken to try to think about it any longer, and only wanted to go home and sleep.

 

Despite that he didn't want to, his brain still egged him to keep thinking of possible scenarios. Michael was brought back up, and the similarities in their habits became all too apparent for him. Michael was a normal guy when they first met, and lived a normal life while they were friends, but once they started dating, he noticed similar patterns in his behavior like with Ryan; always sneaking around, rarely coming out unless it was at night. The only difference was he didn't meet Michael in a mask, or even see him in one. However. . .now that he thought further down, he did remember Michael coming home with a mask. But when he asked what it was for, Michael wrote it off as a Halloween costume. Of course the Brit bought that story, but now he wondered if somehow those instances were connected? He couldn't be sure, and didn't want to jump to any conclusions about someone who is gone. It didn't matter now, anyway, right? They were both dead. Gavin cared, of course. And not knowing was hard for him. But he had to let it go, had to try to move on with both of the men he loved being nothing but a memory for him. He turned on the radio to try to get his mind off the stress, and got lost in the melody quickly. The song that was playing was one of Ryan's favourites, and he would always be scolded for singing the song when they were in the car together. "Shut up, I am trying to listen." Ryan would tell him, but the way he said it always made Gavin think he was smiling behind his mask. Somehow, he didn't feel much better.

 

It took nearly half an hour to make it back home, and he was quite honestly surprised at how far he went out of the city without realizing it. Soon, he was back in his driveway and back home. Shutting the ignition off, he stepped out and began the slow and agonizing walk back inside his lonely and empty apartment. On his way to the door, he noticed his mailbox flag was raised. To most people that would be a normal thing to indicate that they have mail, but for Gavin it wasn't normal. The mailman never raised the flag, either because he didn't care to or because he was too lazy. Either way, it was strange to see it and it made the Brit want to investigate what was going on. Opening up the box, he looked inside and saw a small black box. At first he jumped to the conclusion that it was a bomb, and promptly reeled back to get out of the way. But he was quick to notice that it wasn't a bomb at all, but a cellphone. Not just any cellphone, it looked exactly like Ryan's. If it was his or not was debatable, but either way, he picked it up and examined it. It did have similar features. It was super bizarre and unnatural, and Gavin could feel his palms beginning to sweat with nervousness. What was going on? Why was this in his mailbox? Did Ryan put it there before he died? Or did someone else? Either way, he was sort of happy that he at least had it in his possession. If anyone else got a hold of it, they might find something on there to convict him of being The Vagabond.

 

With the phone in hand, Gavin made his way into his house and sat down at the kitchen table. He laid the phone down and stared at it for a good long awhile, debating if he should look through it. What would be the point, though? That's an invasion of privacy, even if the person is dead. Still, he felt that being the closest person in his life, he had a right to go through the last bit of belongings he owned. Was it okay? He wasn't sure, but something inside him was tempting him to at least look at it. He was far too curious for his own good. Perhaps just a peak inside wouldn't hurt, right? Far worse things could happen, after all. So he picked it up and pressed the button to turn the display on, and once he did, he regretted it.

 

Once the screen lit up, he was greeted with the phone's gallery being open and stuck on one photo in particular. In the photo, Ryan's lifeless body was on the ground, blood pouring from a hole in his chest as he stares up at nothing with blank eyes. The setting around him was dark, and there was barely any recognizable scenery besides a darken dirty floor. The words "your fault" were written digitally across the photo. The shock was almost enough for Gavin to drop the phone, but he held onto it tightly, staring with wide and disbelieving eyes. His hands began to shake, and if he wasn't sitting down, he knew he would have fallen over. Who would do this? Why would they do this? How did they even know where he lived? Why were they saying it was his fault? Again, so many questions that didn't have answers. This was clearly directed at Gavin, since it had been placed in his mailbox. He felt a force telling him to keep looking at the remaining photos that were left, but he had a feeling he knew they were all going to be the same. Sure enough, he swiped through a couple more and they were all of Ryan with different angles with the words "your fault" written on them. One photo even showed the gun that took his life laid neatly next to what looked like tools. A pair of scissors, pliers that were covered in blood, eye drops and a bucket? None of it made sense to Gavin, but seeing them gave him a sense of dread and made him feel sick to his stomach. He didn't want to know what they meant. It was all so heinous to him, and he wanted to stop looking at these horrible photos. He swiped one more time, and it wasn't something he expected, at all. In this photo there was another body, but it wasn't Ryan's. Gavin recognized it instantly. Dark red curly hair, brown jacket. It was Michael. He was slumped up against a wall with his head tilted down, but Gavin could still see the blood splattered against the wall and the pool that was beginning to form from the hole in his head. This must have been taken the night Michael was murdered. Just like the other ones, the words "your fault" were present.

 

The Brit quickly shut the phone off and threw it across the floor, as if the phone itself was mocking him and telling him those words he didn't want to hear. "Your fault. Your fault. Your fault." Was it really his fault? How could it have been? He didn't kill them. Not directly. How could it have been something he did? What did he even do? He couldn't remember. It had to of been his fault. . .both of them were killed after they developed a relationship with him. Was he cursed? He didn't know, and didn't understand. It was all too much for him to handle and he desperately just wanted his head to stop spinning and aching. Why was this happening? Why him? What did he ever do to deserve this? He must have been indirectly doing something to wrong the universe or else it wouldn't be picking on him this much! Two men were dead. . .and somehow it was his fault and he didn't know why.

 

With wobbly legs, he found a bit of strength to be able to stand up and head to this bedroom. Stepping in, he immediately noticed the leather mask still placed on the dresser where Ryan had forgotten it nights before. Gavin knew he couldn't escape no matter how much he wanted to, he felt like no matter where he went, Ryan was near him. Nearly tripping over the bed, Gavin grabbed the mask and stared down at it for mere moments before he got the overwhelming sensation of grief and began to tear up again. It took only a couple seconds for the tears to leave his eyes and fall. He sat down on the bed, holding the mask in his hands as tears dripped down on it. The pain returned, and it felt like it was ten fold this time. Not only was the man he loved dead, but it could very well have been his fault. He couldn't think straight with his head so full of regret and suffering. He cried it out just like he did in the car. Holding the mask close to his chest, he sobbed until there was nothing left for him to give. His tears stopped eventually, and his eyes felt dehydrated, not able to produce any more fluids even though he still felt like crying. He coughed a bit from the amount of sobbing he was doing, and eventually he was able to calm himself down again. For someone who spent most of his life barely crying, he was sure shedding a lot of tears for this one man. He didn't even cry this much when Michael died, and he had known Michael a lot longer than Ryan. So why? Why was he so much more important to him? He felt he didn't have to answer that one, because it was obvious. Ryan was his soulmate, and he was taken from him before he could get a chance to really have a life with him.

 

His brain was beginning to be able to have comprehensive thought again, and he slowly pieced together a few bits of information he was aware of. The person who killed Ryan must have been the same person or people who killed Michael, since he had access to a photo of Michael when he was killed. The man they said killed Michael was someone in a wolf mask. Another masked person. . .just like both of them, he wore a mask. Were they all related somehow? If Ryan was in a gang, and he wore a mask. . .did that mean Michael was also in a gang? It had to of been. Did this piece of leather he was holding in his hand somehow have anything to do with Ryan's death? Everything was fine up until the night Gavin asked Ryan to remove it. What if removing his mask was against the rules? It was a possibility, and seemed to be the strongest one at that. If it was his fault, the only thing he could think of was because he made Ryan do something he shouldn't have done. The masks seem to be a recurring thing in this case, so it had to of been important. The more Gavin thought back over the events that happened the last couple days, he remembered Geoff had told him he would regret being with Ryan, and he was looking right at the mask while saying that. It was the only thing he could think of. It must have been his fault, after all, that Ryan died.

 

"I'm so sorry, Ryan. . ." He muttered to the mask as he buried his face into it, holding back another sob that threatened to come from him. He wished his lover could have been honest with him from the start, then maybe he would still be alive. He wouldn't have asked him to remove his mask had he known it would have gotten him killed. How could he have had any idea that something like that could happen? It was torment knowing he could have done something to prevent this from happening, and now thanks to himself, he was alone yet again. There was nothing keeping from from falling into a pit of darkness now. He would have to continue living like he did before he met Ryan; alone, depressed, no purpose. He knew it was going to be impossible for him to do.

 

With nothing else to think about but how much pain he was in, and the confusion and uncertainty that he still held, Gavin decided to haul up in his house over the next week. He slept with Ryan's mask every night, holding it tightly in his barely there sleep. He barely ate, refused to go outside, didn't answer any phone calls, not even the one his boss made to him. He didn't care about anything. He felt dead inside, numb, hollow. He even went as far as thinking of taking his down life again, but every time he would try, he heard Ryan's voice saying "Gavin, don't." Causing him to chicken out at the last minute. Nearing the end of the week, he made an attempt to be a normal human and tried to go out, but a few steps out the door and he realized he just didn't have the emotional strength. He knew deep down he didn't even deserve to be able to have a normal life. He took the life of two people he loved, so why should he continue acting like he wasn't a serial killer? He might as well have been one, right? After all, he took their lives. _He_ did.

 

Night slowly approached, and Gavin was once again left to stare at the skull mask, feeling nothing but regret. He wanted to some how find a way to make it go away. What could he do to make up for the sin he committed? He needed to find retribution somehow, he decided. He spent the entire week thinking about how he could somehow right this wrong, and could find nothing. Then, suddenly, an idea popped into his head. What if he were to continue The Vagabond name? As far as everyone else knows, he wasn't dead. So what if he kept him alive? It wouldn't be that difficult, right? Gavin could find a jacket like the one Ryan wore, and he had his mask, and his pocket knife. As long as he stalked in the dark, he was sure people wouldn't notice that he wasn't the same build as him, at least he assumed it would work out that way. Perhaps this is what Ryan would have wanted, to have his work continued. He must have been proud of it, after all. Gavin remembered the first night they met, how happy he was to announce his name and show off his skill. Surely, he would want him to do this. To gain retribution, he would do anything. At least then he would feel like Ryan forgave him.

 

He came up with a plan in less than three days, acquiring a similar jacket that Ryan wore and set his idea in motion the following night. He would go out and find someone out wandering the streets, just like Ryan did, and he would intimidate them into handing over their money. That's what he assumed he did, anyway. If he had to resort to it, he would even take their life. That was The Vagabond way, so he, too, would have to make that his way. With the pocketknife he was gifted, he made his way out into the streets with the mask plastered over his face. It was actually a lot harder to see out of it than he realized. He was impressed with how well Ryan got around with having to wear it all the time.

 

He was feeling nervous. He never committed a criminal act before, besides that one night they broke into that sea shack. He wasn't even sure what he would do. He got mugged all the time, could he really mug someone instead? He doubted it, but he remembered how people reacted when they simply saw The Vagabond, how scared they were to even be near him. Maybe he wouldn't have to really hurt them, and instead just scare them into doing what he wanted. It was worth a try, and if he failed, the worst that could happen was he got stabbed. And he's been stabbed many times before. It wasn't pleasant, but he was sure being shot felt a whole lot worse.

 

After roaming the streets with barely any interaction, he finally came to the opening of an alley way, where he could clearly hear struggling between two people. Was it a good idea to get involved? He just needed one person, after all. It would be foolish to get between them. Then again, Ryan had been fearless before and broke up many fights between a mugger and a mugee, threatening the attacker and making him tremble with fear. Gavin wanted something like that. He wanted to recreate the night he and Ryan met. And perhaps threaten the person being attacked into giving him their money. It would be a win-win situation, right? So he decided, he was going to go for it. The fear of The Vagabond would live on forever, he'd be sure of it.

 

Rounding the corner, he got his knife ready and rushed at the scene. What was he supposed to say? Perhaps he shouldn't speak at all, now that he thought about it. People would know The Vagabond isn't British. Well, at any case, he was standing in front of the two, now, and they were both looking at him with quite fearful eyes. Just as planed. Gavin was unsure what to do next, so he swung his knife at the mugger with a less than cool motion. It seemed to do the trick though, for the guy wasted little time in backing off the person he was mugging. "Aye, cool it man! I know this is your turf, I'm backing off. I ain't lookin' to get sliced up by The Vagabond. Screw this shit." And as if he were a magician, he suddenly vanished off into the night. Bloody hell, there went his chance to steal from him or even cause a little blood. Now he understood Ryan's frustrations. Oh well, there was always this guy in front of him. There was a better chance of him being able to pull off his mini heist if he were to just corner one guy. So that's what he decided on doing, trapping him in the corner and making him surrender. He looked down at the man on his knees, who slowly stood up. Gavin noticed instantly that this man looked weird as hell. He was short, not the average size of a normal man at all. But besides that, he was wearing a cowboy hat and an ugly purple jacket accompanied by an orange shirt. Those two colours do NOT mix!

 

Whatever, it didn't matter. He would instill fear in his very soul and make him give up his hard earned money. Gavin began to lift the knife up, but he was interrupted by the man speaking. "You know, I could have handle it myself. I know karate." The phrase was so random, it caused Gavin to stop in his tracks and cock his head. The man then folded his arms and smirked widely. "What the hell, though. I was saved by The Vagabond. You're pretty awesome, dude. I thought you were scary, but I guess you had a change of heart and decided to turn to a life of being a hero instead? Good on you, dude. I'll be rooting for you." And with that, the strange little man patted him on the shoulder, turning the corner and walking off, leaving a very confused fake Vagabond.

 

Wait, what? He wasn't scared of him? But why? Just because he thought he was saving him? He wasn't going to save him, he was going to mug him! Ryan wouldn't have liked the idea of people thinking he was going soft and wanted to help people, right? Of course not. . .But. . .somehow, something inside him told him otherwise. He couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, he was wrong in his decision to try to be a criminal. He didn't know the answer to anything, anymore. He thought he had it all figured out, and that he was going to have his divine retribution. But it didn't happen. Was he just a lost cause? Was he really not good for anything? He would never know, it seemed.

 

He felt like giving up. This was a stupid idea and he knew it wasn't going to work. He needed to head back and think of another plan. He began his walk of shame back home. Back to his life of misery, he goes. He didn't get very far, however, before he heard someone whispering his name. "Gavin." They called out from the shadows. The Brit turned around quickly and replied, "yes?" but quickly realized he wasn't supposed to be Gavin, so he coughed and tried to play it cool, trying to imitate an American accent. "I mean, I'm not that person, stupid. I'm The Vagabond. Now scram." The man came out from the shadows. The brunette looked on with surprise. It was the same guy he saw before, or so he thought anyway, he wasn't 100% certain. He was wearing the same purple hoodie and beanie, but this time something was off: he was wearing a blank white mask over his face with a rose painted neatly on the left side of his cheek. It was kind of creepy looking, and Gavin was freaked out. Why was this guy following him? And how did he know his name? He was near ready to run off when the stranger began to speak.

 

"You can drop the act. I know who you are." He continued speaking. Gavin was unsure if he should trust this guy. Maybe he should book it? Before he could finish his inner debate, the man suddenly pulled something out of his hoodie. It was a piece of paper. "Here. This is for you. It's from The Vagabond. The real one." He placed the folded up sheet of paper inside the brunette's hand, closing it tightly. "Don't lose it." Gavin was so confused, and rather frightened. "How do you know my name? And how did you get this? He's dead. Who are you?" The unknown man stared at him for a few seconds before he sighed. "Let's just say, you have a friend on the inside. You can trust me." The Brit wasn't satisfied with that answer, so he folded his arms up, waiting until he continued.

 

He did, and with a louder sigh, he then said, "I'm in the same gang The Vagabond is. I wasn't as close to him as you were, but he and I were pretty tight, you know? Well, I always looked up to him, anyway, even if he didn't really seem to mind me that much. But when I heard he was taken out, I just had to learn why. So I did some snooping, broke into his house for answers, and eventually found this note he had made for you. I really didn't understand at first why he would let himself be killed for someone he just met, but after reading that, I think I understand a little more. He cared about you a lot, Gavin, and I'm actually pretty happy to see what you're doing with his mask. I think it's the right thing to do." Cocking his head to the side, Gavin was even more curious now. He was also pretty excited to read the note. But first, he had to know. "How did you know I was Gavin, though?" The man simply shrugged his shoulders.

 

"Well, I wasn't sure at first. I had a feeling when I saw you driving around looking for someone. But then when I saw you going to the morgue, I had my suspicions. You went to see him, that much was obvious. And then once you saw him, you had a break down in your car. No one but someone whom he loved _this much_ would feel that way over his passing. So I knew it had to be you. I knew you lived around here, so I have been out here every night to try to find you so I could give that to you. Plus, you made it pretty clear when you answered me when I called your name."

 

Gavin couldn't control the embarrassed blush that spread across his cheeks. He's such an idiot. But in a way, he was also happy. He was glad that someone also cared about Ryan just like he did. He didn't know what the letter said, yet, but he was still happy to know that he had something else to remind him of Ryan. "Well. . .then, thank you for doing this." The man shrugged again. "Not a problem, dude. I approve of what you're doing, and if you ever need me, give me a call." He then pulled out another slip of paper, one that was smaller than the first. "Here's my number. I hope you will find it in you to trust me. Ryan cared about you, so I also care about you. Hell, maybe one day we could even team up together and fight this godforsaken gang." Gavin looked down at the numbers and nodded, before looking back up at the man, who was turning to leave. "Wait, what's your name?" He asked as he began to fade into the shadows. "Just call me X-Ray." He replied back, fully being surrounded by the darkness and disappearing. What a weird guy. But maybe this was finally a stroke of luck for the Brit.

 

Without another thought, Gavin quickly opened up the note. He recognized the handwriting instantly and knew it had to be a genuine letter from his love. He began to read. "When we first met, I didn't believe in love, let alone love at first sight, if you can believe that. I also didn't believe in fate, or destiny. And yet, the more time I spent with you, the more I began to believe in silly little things like those. I wish I had realized it sooner, that I was beginning to grow soft for you from the second time we met." He stopped for a moment, wiping his eyes as they were already beginning to get misty. He continued on, reading every line and every word carefully as if they would vanish from the page once he was done with it. Each line he read made his heart swell more and more with emotion. He was happy, but he was also sad at the same time. Eventually he came to the end, and his face was wet with tears he thought he ran out of long ago. He had no idea the impact he had on Ryan's life, and it was amazing to think that he caused such a huge change to him. What really amazed him was to know that he felt the same way, because his life was also changed by Ryan. He was completely certain they were supposed to be soulmates. Fate cut their love down in its prime, but Gavin would not let it go to waste. He had to take these words seriously and hold onto them for the rest of his life.

 

Ryan had changed so much because of him, he was no longer the gangster criminal that he started out as. Perhaps he was wrong, maybe he wouldn't have wanted Gavin to continue on his criminal record. No, Gavin knew from the start that it wasn't a good idea, anyway. He didn't want people to see The Vagabond as some monster who killed people and had no heart, he wanted them to see him how he really was. He wanted them to see _this_ Ryan, the one that spilled his heart out on this piece of paper. He wanted everyone to see Ryan as the loving and sweet and protective guy _he_ saw him as, he knew he deserved at least that much. He deserved to have the burden lifted off of his name, and the only one to do it now was Gavin himself. That, he was certain, was what his retribution was meant to be. Just like Gavin was Ryan's light and saved him from the darkness, he decided he would be The Vagabond's savior too. The Vagabond, he decided, would no longer be a symbol of darkness and murder, but an icon for peace and justice. He wasn't sure how he would do it, since he can barely defend himself, let alone someone else, but he knew with the strength of Ryan's love that will forever resound in his heart, he would be able to allow for The Vagabond to live on in everyone else's heart, too.

 

The Vagabond's spirit shall never die, not if Gavin Free had anything to say about it.


	14. Special Thanks

 

This ends the story of The Vagabond, a fanfic that was supposed to be a lot shorter than it was! I hope I didn't leave anyone confused or disappointed in the end, and I'd like to apologize for the huge leap of a delay in the last chapter. I spent most of the month with little motivation to write, and had to will myself to finish it. I recognize that the last chapter was nothing near what I was hoping for it to be, and that it reads like it was written lazily and hastily. So I would like to apologize for that as well; I know I could have done better if I would have spent the last month actually working on making it good instead of faffing about until it was too late. But, I hope you guys still enjoyed and are satisfied enough with the ending not to hate me too much! I didn't want to delay any further than I had, so I wanted to finish it sometime this year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read until the end, and to those who gave their support and love. I appreciate all of you! I'd like to give a special thanks to Saturn_the_Almighty and nightcharm12, your constant comments kept me motivated enough to keep going! And toadly, I didn't see you around until the end, but your comment made me smile all the same! I hope you guys all enjoyed, and if you did, you can expect more FreeWood from me in the future. You're all lovely chaps. : ) ♥


End file.
